Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-11-07

"Candidly, I cannot say 1 liked it,
said Hammond, after q moments
pause, II suppose Williams wrote it
1t sounded like his STUFF. Williams is
a good writer, and there is no better
man on local issues, but I am afraid
the trust problem is beyond his
depth. He denounces trusts. He
might as well denounce the Galveston
disaster. He has treated The Record
readers to an entertaining but not
novel bit of trust invectiye. I pre-
sumo it is what they want, but what
good does it do? He proposes no
remedy"
Certainly he proposed remedy"
said Hestor, rallying to the support
OF the editorial staff. "He demands
the enforcement of the antitrust law
which, if put into operation, will re-
suit in the disintegration of criminal
trusts"
you talk like political platform,
Walter" replied Hammond. "You be-
heve nothing of the kind. You are
perfectly well aware that no effective
antitrust law will be affirmed by the
courts. Every time a test is made,
the various courts pronounce such
laws unconstitutional. Twenty states
have passed antitrust enactments,
and all have met the same fate. 1 do
not believe it is possible by law to
prevent any two men, 20 men or 100
men from consolidating their inter
ests and thereby saving and increas-
ing their profits. The trust is the
inevitable result Of revolutionary
forces. 1t possesses certain advan-
tages. These must be conserved. On
the other hand. the trust of to-day
possesses certain features which
menace our very existence as peo.
pie. A remedy must be found; but
it must be natural remedy. You
know my views on this subject, and
do not propose to abuse your hospi-
tally by inflicting anew on you the
details of my pet theory, which may
or may not be worthy of considera-
tio on.
to bring about national or interna-
Hestor, taking out his pencil and jot-
ting down list he had in mind. 81
can imagine the headlines, college of
Financial Giants 'Millionaires as Re-
formers 'Syndicates to the Rescue
Trusts Tremble,' Wealth Willing to
Compromise 1t would be great! If
we could get some foreign fnanciers
with titles to stand sponsor for the
idea, our home product would be
more likely to follow their lead. 1t IS
worth thinking about. I am going to
cable Van Horne and suggest it to
him.
mo, I do not think it possible to
bring such a body of men into con-
ference" continued Hammond, as
Hestor remained silent, with a far
away expression in his eyes. "In the
first place they would not meet; in
the second place, they would not talk.
They are not willing even to defend
their methods, to say nothing of TAX
ing the initiative towards reforming
them. We must possess our souls in
patience; do the best we can, and let
the sequence of events work out its
destiny. 1t is our good fortune that
we can better afford to wait than
most of those who think they have
reason to complain. A millionaire
lawyer with a good practice, and the
millionaire correspondent and special
envoy of newspaper, should be able
to withstand the onslaughts of trust
magnates for considerable PERIOD"
II am going to form trust" said
Hestor suddenly.
"Yes?"
s'1'eu need not laugh. 1 am. 1 am
going to form newspaper trust"
"All right, Walter" rejoined Ham
mond, who was familiar with Hes
tors moods. sit is too late for you
to begin tonight. Let me know