The times., 1901-06-18
Circulation Statement.
some Trust f'RiIacirS.

some Trust fcaiiacteS.
Many champions of the trusts tn
cluding some OF the most prominent
men in public lire affect to dismiss 'he
whole matter from further ee''SiaefS-
ton by declaring that trusts are na'afaA
evoluJiUus. resulting from ghc uciueh
dous growth Of industry ana Sse oi'oi-
nous accommodations of wealth Senator
Allison. who is now being doomed IN
4 small way FOR the Presidency. is pub
licly reported as Of the opinion mai
these great combinations VIII continue
10 increase as the country grows in
wealth. All of this is equivalent TO
saying that the laws CT nature are Al
work, and it is useless for man TO al
tempt to couuteract them.
There is nothing new in this method
of dealing with public abuses by those
who have no inclination to apply a
remedy. Such contentious should de-
ceiye no one who can reason logically
from cause TO effect in the simplest OF
matters 1t is not true that trusts are
a natural evolution" Nature never
We, .,roduced a commercial trust. Such
companies are wholly artificial-as
much so as is the making of hat
They are formed by men to increase
their profits above the normal, by an
naturally controlling certain products
Who ever heard of a corner on wheat
or corn being a natural evolution? No
one. But it is just as much a natural
evolution as is a combine formed per
manently TO control the price of iron
or steel or copper.
Instead of being in accordance with
the laws of nature, such combinations
are in direct conflict Herewith. They
are formed for the express purpose of
interfering with the natural production
and distribution of commodities-not In
the interest of the large public, but
solely to enhance to the point of un-
righteousness their own profits For
centuries free competition has been re-
garded as both a natural right and
prime essential for the just and equita-
BILE transaction of business. Now We
are told that the strangling of compe-
tition Is q natural evolution, and that
we must not think o. fighting against
q natural law.
There is no difference in principle be-
tween a conspiracy to swindle the peo-
pie by Misrepresentation as to the
character of certain goods and
scheme which has for its object the en-
hancement Of its price to the public by
forestalling the market, and creating
either a fictitious or actual scarcity. II
one is a natural evolution so is the
other. IF one is wrong SO is the other
If one can be checked 50 can the other.
Senator Allison idea that the trusts
must continue to grow because the
country is increasing so rapidly IN
wealth is certainly a rare bit of moral
and economic philosophy. To an ordi-
narilv xelI-constructed mind it would
appear that the more the country in
creases in wealth the more widely il
should b. distributed, and the more op-
portuni1 s there should be for every
indiyid:-ai to get a just and proper
share-a s..are commensurate with his
capacity and deserts. But according TO
this new Allisonian philosophy, the
greater the wealth Of the country be
comes the more closely it should be
concentrated into the hands of a few
That may be a vary easy and comforta-
bic doctrine for those who are looking
for political preferment through the
aid of the trusts. but il is hardly pos
sible that il can ever find general ac-
ceptance among the people.
For the present the Republican aim is
to keep the whole matter out OF the
field Of discussion. There are individual
Republicans who think that the trust
issue is pressing one, which their
party must face, by cOnceding the evil
effects Of such combinations. and de-
vising some remedy But the real lead
ers OF the party feel that there is no
way in which the trust question can be
dealt with that viii not operate TO the
disadvantage Of the party. They can
not afford to attack the trusts, for
without the support of those great ag-
gregations OF wealth the Republican
party would have but little assurance
Of retaining political power
Ts admit that the trusts are an evil
carries with it the necessity Of finding
something in the way of a remedy, and
this ia the very nature Of things viii
involve a modification of the Dingley
tariff As it has been claimed persis
tently that all Of our prosperity has
come from the working of this law, the
Republican leaders cannot. without
decentralization. consent to any sub
stantial modifica tons of it. They can
not, in fact, admit that there is any
thing wrong with the trusts without
placing the Republican party at po-
litieal disadvantage And so they at
tempt 10 wave the subject airily away
and satisfy the people with meaning
less generalities about natural evolU-
tion, and the necessity of Paving our
industries all in the hands Of a few
combines because the cUuntry's wealth
IS so great.
A Brave Priest.
One Of those fra adies in real life