The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-03-06

attempts to solve every problem for
them, as is the the case in autocracies.
We are fond of saying that i'll re-
public each citizen is king. But say
ing so does not make it so. Each of
us can be king, and therefore the
nation itself clothed with majesty as
no people ever were arrayed; but only
by each citizen acting as a king
should act; thinking as king should
think, steadily, calmly, with balanced
Judgment and well-considered action.
The new developments in the COM
binations of capital call for just such
popular treatment; the increasing de-
velopment in combinations of labor
calls for just such treatment. We
behold millions Of money which yes
terday were acting separately. today
massed in mighty organizations for
the production, the transportation, the
distribution of national products. Let
us not be alarmed at their magnitude.
Let us not be panied at their nov
city. 1t is not helpful TO slap on the
statute books hasty screeds and call
them laws. 1t will throw no light
upon the real question for excited
meetings to grow trenZied over ex-
cited appeals. No great problem was
ever Illuminated by the torch of a
mob; and between the CONGREGATIONS
of the Commune and fiery talk of
agitators who feel they must carry the
next election at any cost, there is little
difference. Both may be useful in rev.
olution; both may be useful in the
bloody overthrow of tyranny; but
neither are the method of free peo-
pie, who hold their own destiny in
their own hands.
Work of the Trusts.
1t is apparent to the shallowest OBJ
server and certain to the profoundest,
that the great combinations of capital
recently developed are based upon
some of the fundamental principles OF
progress. 1t is equally apparent and
certain that in their development,
evils and crudities have attended
them. But this is true of everything.
1t is even true of the development OF
a child into boy and of boy into
a man; and constant care is exercised
in the training of the infant mind and
character. Maturity is hard process
and slow, but it is simple process.
Let as simple process be exercised
in the new development of our social
- viz and hot word G
and stormy conuuct spoil the vision
of the parent, so will the same savage
methods spoil the vision and make
foolish the action of the people in the
regulation OF the development of cap
ital and labor. The great combina-
tions of capital devoted to the produc-
ton of steel or flour or meats or oil,
systematic the industry, reduce the
expense of production, simplify and
make easy distribution, invade and
conquer foreign markets. The organ
ization of wealth devoted to the prep
aration of meats and other fOodstuffs
sell their products abroad as we'll as
here. Their vast resources enable
them to put refrigerating ships upon
the sea and furnish the breakfast ia
bles of London and Berlin. And to
supply that foreign demand the far
mers of Illinois, Dakota and Kansas
are called upon for cattle at profitable
prices which otherwise they could not
sell at all. So we see that this golden
shuttle of modern enterprise shooting
backward and forward, not only
through our own land, but across the
seas and into Europe and Asia, too,
weayes occupation and prosperity for
our citizens in its ministry to the
wants of our fellow-men abroad. The
same is true of other illustrations of
this same development. The diggers
of iron and coal, the molders of steel,
the workers in factories of cotton and
wool are kept employed by the wrest-
ling of the markets of the world cut
of the hands of our national competi-
tors.
These are a few of the benefits visi-
BILE to all. On the other hand, the
arbitrary raising and lowering of
prices, the unjust exaction of unfair
profits from our own consumers, are
the evils. But the benefits are funda-
mental, and the evils incidental. And
you cannot shear away the good from
the bad by some measure evolved over
night from an excited brain and
adopted next day as party measure
to carry an election the day after
The whole field of national and even
international industry and trade must
be considered. When you reflect that
you cannot do the simplest thing with
out involving every activity of indus
trial civilization all over the world.
you can appreciate how dangerous
makeshift measures are. The SIM
plest act of civilized life affects all
human industry. Take, for example.
your journey home this afternoon in
the cab or railway or street-car. II
involves the growing and telling oil
forests. 1t calls into play the energies
OF miners searching out the ore from
which are made the wheels that carry
you. 1t involves the cattle from whose
hides are made the harness of your
horse, or the leather used in cars
It involves the activities, the lives and
the livelihood of 10000 men immedi
ately at hand; and broadening from
this center of focused activity, 1t cir
cles OFT to the remotest confines Of
the worlds industry. If so simple ar
act as your journey home this after
noon, to which you give no heed, sc
commonplace has it become, is thus