The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1901-11-07

recently been called forth ia the
public press by the address of Judge
Brewer, Of the Supreme Court OF
the United States, at the bicenten-
NAL celebration Of Yale University.
Referring to what is known a. thu
trust question, Judge Brewer lays
down the proposition that "the groat
forces Of industry, business and
politics seem passing under the
dominance Of singh, central con-
troll" Judge Brewer then goes on
to say that "you cannot stay this
movement toward consolidation and
Capitalization. II il natural evOlu-
ton. Injunction against strikers
will not stop II; legislation against
trusts will not. Attempting to stay
the movement of its chariot wheels
by Injunction or by statute Is lunacy
compared with which Dame Part
ington's effort to stop the Atlantic
with broom was supreme wisdom"
In rather bold contrast to the re-
marks of Judge Brewer is the all
dress made q few days later by
Henry Wade Rogers on assuming a
professorship at the same university.
After adverting to the modern tend
ency toward consolidation and con-
centration and tracing the move
ment back to ancient Rome, Prof.
Rogers said:
1.-THE power which private cor
porations possess and their capacity
for III schief are 80 bOundIess that
serious men have realized the alb
solute necessity for the protection OF
society.
Take, by way of example, tie
railroad corporations. 1t Is within
their power to construct the indus
trial map of the United States
Railroad rates have become the all
in which industries breathe. The
railroads by the rates they make can
decide whether the butter consumed
In New York State or Michigan Oh
Ohio; whether Western merchants
who buy their goods In New York
City shall have an advantage over
those who buy them in Boston OF
Philadelphia.
Time was, if it Is not still, wher
the railroads could dictate not merely
where Industries could bs carried on
but by whom.
Take the case of the Standard O..
Company. 1t certainly is no secret
that the great monopoly it po53cste:
was built up by discrimination II
freight rates made by the railroad
companies upon the demand Of the
Standard OIL Company i'll order t.
crush the independent refners. Ii
the course of year and half the
company received or was said t
have received from the railroad
ten millions of dollars in rebates"
The railroad corporations are tn
mo powerful aggr-gations of CAPT
tai In existence. Because of thei
peculiar character and the dependence
which all other industries must hav'
upon them, they occupy a com
msnding position and are able t.
dictate the terms upon which the.
will allow business to be done. Prot
Rogers points this fact out yer.
graphically when he tells how it i
in the power of the railroads to de
eide whether batter consumed il
New York City shall be produce'
in New York State or Michigan o
Ohio. This power is hundred fOl'
accentuated by reason of the fac
that the railroads are all bein
brought under a single control, thu
destroying the saving grace of com
potion.
Judge Brewer says this state G
affairs Is the product Of na!urs
evolution which legislation agains
trusts will not prevent. Prof Rogers
however, quotes with approvs
q speech made by the lamented Nc
Kinley few months ago ia Mime
apolis in which he said:
"More and more it is evident tn,
the State has got to possess the rigf
Of supervision and control"
We do not hesitate as to whic
view Of the matter to accept. TT
formation of the steel trust, til
railroad trust, the sugar trust, til
oil trust, and all other trusts ma
be due to natural evolution, but
such be the case it is high time tn,
the State was doing a little "evoll
ting" on its own account in order
keep up with the procession. ]
what way can the State exercise ii
right of supervision and Con- rol
In so efYectual a manner as by owl
ing and itself operating the railroa
systems of the country? Such q
arrangement would be the create
corrective agency that could be en-
ployed. Under 1t railroad rat,
would be alike to all making it in
possible for the railroads to bull
up one mans business 10 the d
struction of another's, and takiI