The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-06-28
Remedies for the Evils of the Trusts
NO. VI.

| NO. VI.
Communicated.
In one of doggerel songs that amused
and delighted the audiences who attend
ed the performance of "The Mikado,"
occur the following lines:
"My object all sublime,
l will achieve in time,
| To make the punishment fit the crime,
The punishment fit the crime"
The sentiment Of these lines is appro-
pirate to the consideration of a remedy or
remedies for the evils of the trusts; the
remedy should fit the evil which is to be
renedied, for a mis-ft remedy either
proves abortive or il brings a temporary
and Intellectual relief, and, in the end
proves an injury, by postponing indef-
initely an effectual and thorough remedy.
The nature of the remedy for any evil
therefore depends upon the character and
gravity of the evil. Hence the evils of
the trusts have been first discussed, at
some length, in these columns.
From the consideration of the variety
of these evils it is apparent that no one
remedy will answer for them all, but the
thought of the people should be directed
to each evil separately and 10 an effective
remedy therefor. The remedies, what
ever they are, must be applied by the
combined power of all the people, exer-
cised through their national or local gov
ernments, or both, for everyone can see
that the trusts are too strong for the indi
vidual, and their evils cannot be rene
died by competition or other efforts Of
individuals. The very existence of the
trusts is the proof of their triumph over
individuals, for they are built upon the
ruin of the men who have attempted to
compete with them or otherwise stand
in their way.
But what can the power of the whole
people, exercised by their governments,
do to remedy the evils of the trustse Any
thing the people want TO do. Every trust
is corporation, created by the peoples
government, having its existence solely
by the leave and license of the people,
given through their governments, and
therefore liable to he destroyed by the
people, if they choose. What the people
have given, the people can take away
what they have created they can destroy;
there is power enough in the people to
remedy the evils of the trusts, if the peo-
pie are once aroused and determined to
exercise their power.
II is admitted that the efforts heretofore
made to remedy those evils have for the
most part been nugatory, but there is
much room to question the sincerity of
most OF these efforts. No efficient remedy
will ever be adopted if the people delegate
to friends of the trusts the power to select
the remedy. The very first step is to
send to the City Council, to Legislatures
and to Congress; and TO elect as mayors,
governors, presidents and judges, men
who are honestly and earnestly in favor
of destroying the evils of the trusts. And
remembering that it is more than human
nature for a man to want to destroy what
puts money in his pocket let us not be so
childish as to select men who are inter
ested in trusts and profit by the evils Of
which we complain, as our agents to
eradicate, those evils. Can we expect
stakeholder, or attorney, or officer of the
coal trust, or the sugar trust, or The paper
money trust, or any other trust, to hon
estly and earnestly endeavor to destroy
the evils of those trusts, when those very
evils gather in from the people the funds
to increase the dividends of the stock
holder, the fees Of the attorney and the
salary of the officer7
When the people come to understand
the gravity of these evils they will inquire
of every man who is a candidate for any
office whether he is stakeholder, attor-
ney or officer of any trust, and will not
allow party ties or race prejudice, or any
other consideration, to induce them 10
support any man for any Office who is
thus connected with any trust. To all
such candidates the people will say eye
cannot serve God and Mammon;" you
cannot serve the trusts and u.s.
And when in this way the people have
cleaned out of all their offices all the
persons profiting by the evils of the trusts
and have put in their places men who
are in earnest in their desire to eradicate
these evils, the dawn of the day of the
redemption of the people from the thral-
dom of the trusts will be at hand.