The Washington times., 1901-07-25

produce those things are beyond the
control of any trust. The most that can
be done by wheat pool is to corner
what is on the market, but a new crop
is certain to break the corner.
But modern manufacturing in the
more important lines is altogether diff
ferent 1t has reached a stage of de-
velopment at which it can only be car
ried on successfully with costly ma
chinery. installed in expensive build
ings. II there were no trusts, it would
require very considerable capital to
enable man or company to engage in
manufacturing with any chance of sue
ceeding. The same is true of mining,
although in lesser degree. 1t is this cir
cumstance that gives the modern trusts
their tremendous advantages. With
their almost. unlimited command of
money they can secure the very best OF
mechanical appliances, thereby making
general competition impossible. When
companies fully equipped for the most
effective work come into competition
with each other, the result in many
cases has been combination of'forces,
and this it is that constitutes the trust
Legitimate competition being thus de-
stroyed, there is no apparent reason
why these great combinations controll-
ing the effective instrumentalities of
production may not permanently hold
their advantage if nothing is done to
curb them.
In comparing old-time trusts with
modern enes the fact should always be
kept in view that in former days every
particle of law bearing upon the sub
ject was directed against the trusts,
while now in great measure the trusts
control legislation and shape it to their
own ends. 1t is one of the strangest
facts of history that monopolies should
have more influence now in the enact
ment and constituting of laws than they
had four hundred years ago. when the
world was just emerging from the petty
tyranny and semi-barbarism of the
Dark Ages. In these days the trusts
are pampered and buttressed by the
law. Under the pretence of protecting
American labor, commercial peicy is
adopted which is nothing less than an
impregnable rampant between the
trusts and all honest competition. That
in justice this rampant should be torn
down is so obvious a proposition that
the mystery is how anyone sincerely de-
sirous of ending the extortions of the
trusts can object.
il is idle for US to drift off into the
field of conjecture as to what the fu-
ture may bring when the trusts have
swollen 10 the bursting point. That
point may never come, and if it should
il would come with a crash that would
throw the shadows of suffering across
the thresholds of millions of humble
homes. Equally vain is 1t to imagine
that anything can be gained by the in
auguration of strikes by men who have
no actual grievances, and whose actions
merely tend to disturb the business of
the whole country, injuring others far
more than they do the trusts. But by
operation of unjust laws the trusts have
grown and Dourished; by modification
of those laws it is fair to suppose that
they may be checked in their abuses,
and kept within reasonable limitations
A clear. tangible, and effective step in
that direction will be 10 deprive them of
tariff protection which enables them
to charge the American consumer what
ever they please. while selling in foreign
markets for whatever they can get.