The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1903-05-28

develop the country, or cneapen
production, whereby th, consumer
may be benefited, the many enabled
to enjoy the benefits formerly enjoy
ed by the few, the poor get the ad-
vantages OF luxuries that had before
been reserved for the rich alone, and
the increase in consumption eompen-
safe for the reduction in price, would
be a natural and healthful growth;
but when the trust comes in to con-
troll these products and arbitrarily
sets the price, limited alone by mans
cupidity, it Is an unnatural growth.
But natural or not, it is here, not as
theory, but q condition, to con-
front us. Not a combination that
controls the output OF a lew manu-.
factories, but in every liue OF bust
ness, and l came near saying pro-
iession, we are confronted by this
great juggernaut OF the commercial
world, A few years ago trusts were
in an experimental stage, and were
regarded with neither apprehension
or suspicion Now, the air We
breathe is about the only blessing of
heaven or earth that is not under
their control, and we sometimes
think there is danger OF some enter
prising gentlemen running a corner
on that, bottling it up and selling 1t
at so much per cubic yard, subject to
a raise without notice, when the
president OF the trust desires to I'M
press the public with his benevolence
by endowing a university with a few
millions.
To my mind, the greatest evil at
tendant upon the trust, is its closing
the door OF opportunity to the young
men OF our country. One OF the
greatest blessings OF IA free country
like ours, is the opportunity given
the young man to carve out his own
destiny; and heretofore, the posi-
bilities have been limited to his own
ability and energy. 1t is a long dis
lance between a wood choppers hut
ora tailor's goose to the presidential
chair, and yet those are the bright
est pages in the history OF our coun-
try, cheering poor, but ambitious
youths to great exertions by the vast
possibilities held out to them. We
cannot all be presidents, or great
statesmen, or millionaires, but we
can all be ireemen, and by proper
application OF our talents, be our
own masters. Heretofore, q boy
with frugal habits could save a COM
petence with which he could start in
business, be a factor in his eemmuni.
ty, raise a family, give the children
advantages, have time of his own to
improve his intellectual and moral
nature. With trusts controlling all
avenues to what can he look forward
with ardent hope? He may, by hard
labor, servile obedience, strict appli.
cation, become 80 useful to his EN-.
ployer, that he will be placed over
the other employees as a foreman. He
may become a floor walker or head
clerk in a department store, the doors
are shut against him being a proprie-
tor OF his own establishment.
You gentlemen may not rest in
iancied security as presidents or
cashiers OF prosperous banking
houses. Even now the tendency is to
merge your banks into trusts, with
the head in one OF the great cities
OF the country, and yours as simply
branches, with you as clerks. No
line OF business is safe from it's in
fuences, and the professions are feel.
ing it's weight
The fortunate lawyer is hegeneral
attorney for the trusts, and the 9TH
ers are his clerks and assistants. II
no other evils attended the trusts,
the closing the doors of opportunity
to the youth Of the land is sufficient,
in my Judgment, to damn them.
| have the utmost faith in the PEG.
pie who founded this government Of
liberty and freedom, and preserved
it for over century and a quarter
from foes from without and internal
discussions and strife, making it
stronger and better each year, until
it is the greatest nation on earth.
solving all problems as they arise. l
believe that just laws will be enacted
that will control, if they do not make
it SO Improbable, by restrictions
thrown around them, that trusts
will cease to exist. | believe in the
integrity OF our judiciary, and
through it expect to gee such laws,
when enacted, enforced. A few days
ago a federal Judge in this city gave
body blow to the great trusts in
his decision in the Northern Securi.
ties case, which prevented the merger
OF great railroad properties that are
now competing lines.
With able, honest. conservative
statesmen to make our laws, with
learned. incompatible and fearless
judges to interpret them, we may bear
the evils Of a day with full confidence
that they will be remedied, and the
trust problem will be correctly solv-
ed.