Mower County transcript., 1902-10-01


western trip, was devoted principally
to the question of tariff reduction on
trust~made goods. His position was
that the trusts can be damaged by de.
priving them of the benefits of a pro.
tective tariff, only on the condition
of damaging all their smaller competi-
tors and the wage earners employ ed
in the industry. He said:
"The word trusts is used very loose
ly and almost always with technical
.inaccuracy. But the average man,
vaguely all of the very big corpora
tions, the growth of which has been so
signal eature of our modern times,
and especially those big corporations
which, though organized in one state.
DO business in several states, andsome
OF which have a tendency to monopoly
"This whole subject of trusts is of
vital concern to us, becauseit presents
one, and perhaps the most conspicuous,
OF the many problems forced upon our
attention by the tremendous Industrial
Development which has taken place
during the last half century in all civ
1lized countries, and notably in our
own.
Industrial Conditions Changed.
Many factors have concurred in
bringing about these changed indus
trial conditions. Of these steam and
electricity are the chief. The extraor-
binary change in the methods of trans
portation of merchandise and the
transmission of intelligence has ren-
dered not only possible but inevitable
the immense increase in the rate of
growth of industrial centers-that is,
OF great cities. Hence has result ed the
specialization of industries, and the
uneXampled opportunities offered for
the employment of huge amounts of
capital, and therefore for the rise in
the business world of those master
minds through whom alone it is pos
sible for such vast sums of capital to
be employed with profit.
"Now, it matters little whether or
not we like these new conditions, the
creation of these new opportunities.
Many admirable qualities which were
developed in the older, simpler, less
progressive life have to some degree
atrophied under the conditions of our
rather feverish, high pressure, COM
plex, and specialized life of today.
"But our likes and dislikes have lit
tie to do with the matter. The new
conditions are here. They have pro-
duced both good and evil. We cannot
get rid of then-even if it were not un-
desirable to get rid of them-and our
instant duty is to try to accommodate
our social, economic and Legislative
life to them, and to frame a system
of law and conduct under which we
shall get out of them the utmost pos
sible benefit and the least amount of
harm.
1T is foolish to pride ourselves ON
our marvellous growth and prosperity,
upon our commanding position in the
international world, and at the same
time have nothing but denunciation
for the men to whose commanding
business ability we in part owe this
very progress and prosperity, this COM
manding position.
"Whenever great social or industrial
changes take place, no matter how
much good there may be to them, there
is sure to be some evil; and it usually
takes n,ankindb a number of years and
a good deal of experimenting before
they find the right ways in which,
SO far as possible, to control the new
evil, without at the same time nullify-
ing the new good. In these circum-
stances the effort to bring the new
tendencies to a etandstill is always
futile, and generally mischievous, but
it is possible somewhat to develop
them Alright.
Law Can Stay Development.
''Law can to degree guide, protect,
and control industrial development,
but it can never cause it, or play more
than a. subordinate part in it's healthy
development-unfortunatelyi it is easy
enough by bad laws to bring it to All
almost complete stop.
I'm dealing with big corporations
we intend to proceed not by revolution,
but by evolution. We wish to face
the facts, declining to have our vision
blinded either by thefolly of those who
say there are no evils, or by the more
dangerous folly of those who either
see, or make believe that they see,
nothing but evil in all the existing sys-
tenn, and who, if given their way, would
destroy the evil by the simple process
of bringing ruin and disaster to the
entire country.
Must Control All Monopolles.
''The evils attendant upon over
capitalization alone are, in my judg-
ment, sufficient to warrant a far closer
supervision and control than now ex-
fst over great corporations. Wherever
a substantial monopoly can be shown
TO exist we should certainly try our
utmost to devisean expedient by which
it can be controlled.
"Doubtless some of the evils exist
ing in or because Of the great corpora
tions cannot be cured by any legisla~
tion which has yet been proposed, and