The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-03

The contemplated union Of coal carrying
and coal mining interests in the bitumin-
Gus regions, and the resulting formation
Of trust will attract universal attention
1t is certain to be followed by the most
far-reaching conse quences, both TO pro-
ducing society and to the financial inter-
ests involved.
1t Is safe to assume that the new trust
will be as successful as those which have
preceded it, Except in the case Of the oil
trust, and the anthracite combination, the
bituminous coal trust will represent the
only great organization of the kind yet
formed on the ownership and control of a
purely natural product It's exemplars
have been so long and 80 successfully in
the field that there can be no rational
reason for assuming that for the time the
measure of success which will attend it's
operations will be any less than that
which has followed on the anthracite and
the oil combinations.
Whether we accept the growth of trusts
as a legitimate evolutionary process in
productive life, or as involving a menace
to public safety, no organization can be
maintained in this country based solely
on the ownership and control of purely
natural product without arousing public
hostility and being in measure, greater
or less, serious curtailment of the rights
and prerogatives of the commonwealth.
1t is hard to understand how the peo-
pie of the United States have so long
endured the operations of the Standard
Oil and the anthracite coal combinations.
They are concededly two of the most
powerful two ofvthe least scrupulous and
most understandable combinations tEat
have ever been formed perhaps in the his
tory of commercial and industrial devel-
opment. The addition to them of third
such organization is certain to arouse
public feeling to a point, if not of resist
ance, at least of earnest protest.
1t is not right that sucn products
should be entirely matters of private
ownership. The gross corruption which
the anthracite trust has introduced into
Pennsylvania politics is responsible for
the reputation for venality which at
taches to the public life of that state.
At every point of contact on the part
of the Standard Oil combination with
public interests there has been left the
stigma of remorseless dishonesty. Both
these organizations are able today, as
they have been at all times in the past,
to perpetuate their illegal control over
public property, In large measure through
the prostitution of public interests. It
will be but little different with the new
combination.
We're there in existence a sound and
healthful sense of public accountability
among our public characters, combina,-
tions of this general description, which
are all social parasites, produce moth
ing and devour the public substance,
would be made to yield up a. full equiv
alent in recognition of the prime owner
ship by the commonwealth of the COM
modify in which they deal. The recog-
milton of that ownership lies at the basis
Of the political system which we Inherit
ed from England, and is enforced by the
British crown today by an elaborate
system of royalties. 1t is little less than
individualism run mad when such COM
binations as those in coal and oil are
allowed to exist under the recognized
conditions attending those already in ex-
istence.
The new monopoly of natural product
represented by the bituminous coal trust
will not add to the security which those
enjoy who are now engaged in organiz-
ing these combinations