Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-07-19
Is This Prosperity?

The trend of Commcrcialism, the
stcpping-stone from Republic to En-
pirc, seems to be steadily onward. 1t
is now announced that Morgan has
obtained control of the great anthra-
cite and biiumlnous coal corporations
of the country ard can, il lie so wills,
still the wheels OF industry at the wave
Of his hand, or if unchecked in at
tanment OF autocratic power, take the
last dollar FROM the pocket OF the
working man, II he deemed it expedi-
ent from any cause, or without cause,
to do so.
The significance OF this onward
movement for subordinating all of ia.
lures resources and products to the
will OF one man, or Of n few individuals.
is the most startling proposition of
the age. When will the limit be
reached? Where will the absorption
Of natural resources end? How can it
progress much farther without arous.
ing spirit of protest, in which self
directed Drawn will be arrayed against
keen and active brains that must de-
pend upon purchased energy to sus-
tain its side OF the conflict?
That this movement of colossal cap
ital was decided upon with delibera-
ton is shown by remark Morgan
dropped when he sailed for Europe, a
few months ago, that upon his return,
he would center upon campaign
worth WHILE" and that he realized its
far-reaching importance to all classes,
is manifest, when it is considered that
he had already organized the billion
dol Ii steel trust. Coal is q commod-
ity SO nearly allied to the manufactur.
ing interest already within his grasp,
that its control makes him absolute
master of the man ufactured products
of the nation.
Is it at all surprising that, under
these conditions, an element exists in
social life, which, driven to despera-
ton, deems it q justifable alternative
to institute system of reprisal and
levy tribute upon the men who have
absorbed mOre-so many times more
than their share OF Natures endow-
ments? And the sapient query un.
hidden rises, should it be within the
power of any man, or set of men, to be
able to throttle the industrial life of
the nation, to crafty their Unsuitable
thirst for power? To answer it means
resistance and irrepressible conflict.
Reprehensible as may be the hold
up" feeling this course Of capital has
engendered, are not these men, to
some degree, excusable for adopting
the only means that seems to afford
prospect of relief from hopeless, insati-
able, cruel want?
It is realization of the increasing
magnitude of each succeeding attempt
to place industrial conditions under
the absolute control OF wealth, that
has caused eight hundred and fifty
thousand employees of the steel corpor-
alton to combine, who held a confer
ence in Chicago last week, under the
auspices of the American Federation
Of Labor. 1t is the unsettled feeling
which such radical changes cause
which has disturbed labor all over the
country and which has led, in our
own State, to a strike of the machin-
lists and iron.workers which after two
months of prostration Of business. is
40 far from settlement as ever.
A London dispatch of Tuesday says
that England views the great conflict
with unaffected interest. Combine.
tions of wealth are felt to be on trial
in America. and if they survive the
great conflict with organized labor,
concentration of capital will be pro-
NOTED in England.
The Supreme Lodge X. of p, lately