The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-25
A COMMON SENSE TRUST PLANK

Indiana republicans adopted a trust
plank that is full of common sense. Be-
cause it does not declare war on all BUSH
ness combinations, the democrats will
doubtless assert that it is only one more
republican pronouncement that says moth.
ing. But the plank exactly expresses the
views OF the great, conservative, and yet
progressive, majority of American
citizens who have given thought to the
realize that any political platform that
teaches the destruction of business con-
solicitations of all kindsgi is, if not dema-
gogic, certainly fatuous, archaic and inef-
fectual. Read what the Indiana repub-
Hcans say on this engrossing subject:
We are opposed to all trusts or conbna-
tons OF capital whose purpose or effort is to
restrict business or control prices And we
especially denounce those whose tendency is
to increase the cost Of living and the neces-
saries Of life We favor legislation to prevent
such abuses We approve the sincere and de-
termned effort of President Roosevelt to en-
force the laws against illegal combinations
60 restraint of trade, and demand that ad-
ministrative officers, state and national shall
ner, SO that the Legitimate competition shall
not be embarrassed or destroyed.
It is not all combinations of capital that
are nimical to the general interests. It
is those whose purpose is to restrict
business or control prices; and the most
reprehensible combinations are those that
increase the cost of living and the neces-
saries OF life.
Regulation, not destruction, is the cor
rect general view of the trust question.
This is an age of great industrial tasks
and it requires great power to perform
them. 1t is corporation age.
But these combinations are SO large
that they can no longer say when the
voice of criticism speaks: This is my
business and none of yours as the old
time manufacturer on small scale might
say. The business of great corporation
is the business Of the people.
Capital does not fully understand this
yet, 1t will have to learn. The people
are prepared to grant that great combina.
tions are economic necessities In the
present era, but they refuse to concede
that they can rightfully be directed to the
public injury.
A consolidation is really justified onl!
as it is an improvement on the system i
supersedes, and that point is finally tt
be determined not by increased dividend
for few stockholders, but by the bet
terment Of the service to the public.
Among individuals there are those WIFI
abide by the law, moral and civil, ant
those who violate it. We may expec
that there will be some such difference
among trusts; some will be lawabiding
some will be lawless. The latter mus
be reformed or put to death.
Up to the present time the lawles
trusts have been most in evidence. Thi
Is because we are still near the incep
ton of the era of consolidation. TIL
selfish motive has been the animatin
cause of consolidation, as it usually i
OF most private business undertaking.
The selfish motive does not take accoun
of the necessary difference in the rela
tions between a great consolidation an
the public and little business and tn
public.
Taking the Indiana trust plank as
good expression of republican tenets a
to consolidation, we are fortunate In re
cent republican practice. By proceedin;
against the merger and the beef trust
President Roosevelt has demonstrate
that the republican party is still a part
Of action and performance. While ask
ing for further and stronger Legislation
it is doing III it can to enforce the law
we have.
Fortunate nationally in Presiden
Roosevelt, Minnesota republicans are for
tunate in Governor Van SAINT. who, Xix
the president. is doing all no can to zen