The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-02-10

to one of our customers as you do to
another" In order to accomplish the re-
suit contemplated by this section it must
be shown that the trusts have an unlaW-
full purpose in making the discrimination.
| fear thai the friends of this bill viii
find its provisions as utterly impotent as
the provisions Of the Sherman antitrust
law nave appeared to be. | honestly be-
Iieve that the trusts will not be at all d.
turbed in the fragrant expressions. of
which they are guilty, even il the bill is
enacted into a law.
The majority report of the committee
shows great solicitude for investors il
trust stock. but is silent as to tho welfare
Of tho millions who arc forced to consume
the products of the trusts. The person
who owns stock in a trust is a part of
the trust. The majority of the commit
tee seems anxious to protect him They
feel sure publicity will do this, for ever
Mr.. John d. Rockefeller dViSe pub
licity. Actually the majority of the COM
mittee have Incorporated in their report
the suggestion of Mr.. John i. Rockcfcl-
Ter, who" they say, lis understood to
be at the head of one of the largest in
dustrial corporations in existence" They
say in this report that "Cyen Mr.. Ra"kc-
Teller in effect advised publicity IN his
statement before the Industrial Commits
sion" Then they quote the evidence Of
Mr.. Dill. who" thcy say, has had very
large experience in the organization Of
corporations, is the author of several
works upon corporations and was tho
attorney organizing the United States
Steel Company"
These gentlemen approve publicity.
Therefore publicity is efficient. 1t Will
correct the evil. This must be 50, is the
conclusion of the Republican ma jority Of
the committee, for Mr.. Rockefeller. the
head Of one great trust, and Mr.. Dill, at
! torncy for another, advise it. Publicity
is the means whereby the trusts shall be
forced to do right, for the trusts them-
selves say so. This is the logic of tho
/ Republican majority of this committee.
Mr.. Chairman, the great evil which
menaces the happiness of millions in this
Republic is not overcapitalization in the
. formation of trusts, it IS not in Watered
stock. it is not in lack of publicity. it is
not in discrimination among customers.
. Bad as all this is, there is a still worse
! evil, in the presence OF which all this
pales into insignifcance. 1t con
sists in the power of tho trusts to con-
troll the essentials of life and t, fix thS
| prices thereof. The great evil which viii
involve this country sooner or later il
revolution. unless corrected. consists j,
= The power Of a single corporation or ir-
dividual to control the food which hu-
man beings must have. the clothing the3
must wear, the fuel they must burn. tht
/ implements they must use, and the price.
people must pay for these essentials G
life. More than this; it consists in tho
power of a single corporation to contro
the market of the great agricultural pro
ducts of our people, and its ability u
fix the price thereof. When this is per
i mitted mon arc no longer free.
We might as we'll face the ISSUE
squarely now. Sooner or later we will h'
forced to face it.
Now. by section 6 Of this bill you sd!
you nave the power TO prohibit the use
either directly or indirectly, of any of tn
facilities or ins~trumentalities of inter
state commerce to corporations whicl