The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-10-02
The Trust.

The American Bar Association, which
numbers among its members some of the
most eminent legal authorities in the
country, discusses the great economic
questions of the day in an impartial man
ner at its meetings, and the conclusions
arrived at necessarily carry great weight.
At the recent session of the association at
Hot Springs the trust evil and remedy
therefor was debated. The following ex-
tract will serve to show the conclusion
of the association after deliberation of
the question
''If necessary, the State itself can enter
the industrial field as producer and re-
store the force of competitor of the great
trusts The modern combination has
become too big for any private compel
itor to attack. IF we must find a coui-
petitor, the State must enter the field.
The only possible competitor for billion
dollar trust is hundred billion-dollar
state. This involves no new form of
activity. The government in one or the
other of its different forms, national
state, or municipal, is already in the in
dustrial field. The United States is one
of the largest common carriers in the
land. 1t carries the mails so we'll that
there is no possible competitor. New
York State is a common carrier by water
1t owns the Erie Canal, and proposes to
spend hundred million dollars in build
ing better one. The city of New York
furnishes the people with water at a
profit, and the city of Philadelphia has
furnished the people with gas. also at a
profit. Every penal and charitable iust-
tuition maintained by the nation, by the
state, or by municipalities, has its work.
shop, where things are produced either
for the general market or for the con.
sumption of the nation, state, or muuic-
ipality itself. These are only examples.
The machinery of the state which has
been found available to go so far in the
industrial field can be utilized to 90 still
farther. If the Meat Trust charges un-
warrantably high prices for meat, the
United States has several hundred mil
lion acres of pasture lands still unoccu.
pied where it can raise the beef for hall
nation. If the Coal Trust will not lie,
us have coal at reasonable prices, we can
take the coal helds by eminent domain
and operate them by the government. II
the railroads refuse to carry the mails al
lar prices, or charge too high rates on
interstate traffic, the United States is big
enough and rich enough to make its own
iron IN competition with the Steel Trust,
and to build and operate its own railroads,
or it can take by eminent domain exist.
ing roads.
The United States Government, or
any one of the larger states, coming into
the industrial field in earnest, would cause
the people interested in the great trusts
or combinations affected TO have very
unpleasant dreams, and possibly the gov.
eminent would in addition. make prof,
for itself out of the business. This might
be called socialism, but it is not. We be.
lleve i'll individual initiative aud stand for
1t. We hope never to see the time when
the individual will not take the initiative.
We believe that the notwithstanding
power of the individual should be pre.
served at all hazards. But if we are to
allow a combination so great aud so
strong and so powerful as TO prevent in.
dividnal initiative, we believe that that
combination should be the state itself
and that the citizens, if they must have
a master, should-be the master of
themselves"