The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-30
PROBLEMS OF TO-DAY
Eugene 6. Hay Discusses the Consol-
idation Idea and Negro Cues
ton at Anoka.
Food for Thought for the Grand
Army-Memorial Day Exer.
cises at Other Points.

Special to The Journal.
Anoka, MINI, May 30.The Memorial
Day exercises this year We're on more
elaborate scale than ever before. All
the busir ess houses were closed and most
of the citizens attended the exercises.
Eugene G. Hay of Minneapolis was the
orator and spoke as follows:
Consolidation and the State.
''The worship of commercial success and
the seeking of personal gain and power.
regardless of the public good, which In
it's most acute stage has taken the form
of consolidation of Industrial and COM
mercial interests and their management
in defiance Of law, Is the most menacing
fact which In recent years has confronted
the American people. This tendency to
consolidation. which when accomplished,
we have grown to speak of as trust.
has it's good and It's bad side, its advan-
tages and disadvantages.
That in the consolidation of interests
there are great advantages to the pro-
Queer there Is doubt. The economy
of management which must come from
one man doing the work which several
mon are required to do, and the saving
thru reducing to the minimum the waste
q both labor and material unquestionably
reduces the cost Of production, and this
should reduce the price. which is also
an advantage to the consumer The in
creased opportunity for foreign business,
the better equipment to compete for the
commerce of the world, which Is pos
sessed by consolidated enterprises, that
thru the trusts America may become the
commercial master Of the world, Is an
other point In their favor. This presents
the strength Of the argument in favor Of
consolidation. Leaving out Of account the
danger that grows from monopoly, that
HAr HoVo .ait
from the reduced cost Of production, and
viewed solely from a commercial stand
point, these reasons present an unan-
swerable argument Et
but what of the affect Of this consol-
idation upon the state? What profit it
to advance our commerce If the founda-
lions Of democracy are undermined? De-
stroy our political system and our COM
merce goes with 1t. The roots of that
system are planted deep in individual
ownership. In every battle from Licking
ton to AppomattoX the American soldier
fought for something more than his pay
Nowhere has patriotism meant so much
rs In the United States. The interest
which under the old system Of Individual
proprietorship the great masses of the
people felt in both the political and in
dustrial we'll being of the country has
been at the source of the readiness with
which they have sprang to its defense
whenever either In war or in peace Its
life or Its honor was assailed. Will this
response be SO prompt or so willing under
system where all interests are managed
and owned by the few? Consolidation re-
duces the number Of owners and increases
the number Of employees. Where one mar
In every thousand Is a proprietor and 99s
are employees, the interest in the we'll
being of the country will not be so great
as where one man in every fifty is the
owner and manager of a business.
How 1t Grows.
1.-THE consolidation idea is progressive
If this year one man in every thousan nd
Is a proprietor and manager Of a bust
ness, next year but one man in every
5000 will be at the head Of business
and thus year by year the opportunity fol-
individual ownership and Individual sue
cess is narrowed encouragement follows
patriotism wanes, widespread and genera
dissatisfaction with the existing order
will come, and then revolution It may
be peaceful revolution, but 1t will be
revolution that will unseal democracy
Vast numbers of the great order loving
w-abiding body of our citizens segre.
gated from ownership and seeing no hope
for their advancement under the existing
order. will ally themselves with those
already too strong, who are opposed II
the ownership Of property, and the tri
umph Of socialism in the United State;
will be inevitable. ,.tt
continue unchecked. socialism would TAX
the place Of democracy. But Is Their
danger Of this? Two years ago Their
seemed to be, but the history of the las
eighteen months answers this question
with most emphati tic No. This DANCE
would exist were the people quiescent
but they are not; they are aroused:
New Laws Needed.
From time to time changed condition
demand laws. rev 1ov1,
for the safe guarding of property and o
individual rights, but new laws for tn
safeguarding of the state The CONNER
cfa1 and Industrial evolution of the las
quarter of a century undoubtedly present
such a change of conditions. More intelli
gent laws for the organization of privat
and quasi-public corporations; better gov
and supervision of interstate commerce
with such a system Of examinations a
will aid In the enforcement of laws, ma
and doubtless will be required But Will
the enactment Of. laws must come first
under present conditions their enforce
ment is Of far 1noreli Importance. 1t is not
therefore. that part Of our history of tn
enactment of laws, but that which record
the enforcement Of existing laws, whic
gives us assurance that the commerce.
tendencies Of recent times threaten no res
danger to the state. A
IT the great game Of commerce ma
be played fairly, it matters not upon no,
gigantic a scale 1t is played Corpora
tlons kept within the bounds OF the fun
damental principles upon which the re
public is founded, will never grow t
dangerous proportions. The broad foun
dations of Anglo Saxon jurisprudenc
were intended to sustain mighty democ