The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-01-30

his liberty by foreign power or govern
ment, if not FORGETTING life, we haste to
the rescue, and if millions are involved
will maintain our honor. Under present
conditions, Judging from the progress
made in restraint of combinations, there
will not be many of us live to see these
mighty concerns brought under control of
the government. AS witness the attempts
thus far. The threats have but served
as an impetus to greater strides in merger
combinations. The individual and small
dealer are nowhere. The big fish eat all
the little ones.
We are today a government of fostered
trusts and railroad combinations, until
the interest of the humber citizen is en-
tirely lost TO sight
We believe the present commission
attempting to arbitrate the difficulty be-
tween operator and miner, if they sue
coed they have not power to bind, or
limit the time until another similar con-
dition is upon us. What are we going to
do about it? We say let the rural dis
tricts come up to the help of the masses.
Let US endorse The resolution of Jenkins
that of government control of the rail
roads and mines If the government is
not clothed with sufficient power let her
legislators speedily furnish the authority.
We believe the authority veste1 in the
government in an emergency to appro-
pirate private property, is sufficient. The
emergency is apparent: Combinations
are robbing the country trade is restrain
ed, individual rights are invaded, the
small dealer is boycotted until all is alb
sorbed in the mighty trust
True our railroads have shown a gen.
erous spirit in advancing unsolicited the
salary of their employees, but who pays
the piper. Freight rates are advanced all
along the line, and for every dollar adj
vanced to employee ten are wrung from
the patrons of the road, of which we as
farmers pay due share. And if present
conditions are permitted for five years
more, with all competing lines merged,
we may reasonably expect freights to
double. We believe the issue before the
people in the next presidential campaign
will be government ownership of railroads
and coal mines.
Another unwarranted innovation is that
state may be permitted to clothe with
authority a combination representing
perhaps billion of capital to prosecute
their nefarious business like an octopus
i'll any other state. We believe it Just as
reasonable for one state to license men to
prosecute the liquor traffic in any other
state their fancy might dictate or interest
direct
And what is the plea for this abuse of
power? Gov Murphy points significantly
to over six million accruing to the state
treasury of New Jersey. A state dispens-
ing the privilege of plying the liquor traf-
fic without restraint, might boast of
accumulated billions. Is it not time 10
call halt? And while we as agricul-
turists have receded from sixty to about
thirty per cent of the wealth, we repre-
sent about fifty per cent of the population,
and if we so desire can make our influence
felt and our voice heard in the affairs OF
our nation.
Criticisms being in order the
President called each member for
5 comments. Elwood Balderston
replied that while approving of the
essayist's valuable paper, he was
not ready to condemn all trusts as
r bad,' and quoted several instances
where large corporations had cheap
t ened production so that the con,
| sumner was reaping the benefit at
5 much lower prices than prevailed
before; that so long as these priv
ileges were not abused they should
S be encouraged, but so soon as they
J became tyrannical in their opera
tons the farmers should rise up
: in their might at the ballot box
and legislate against them.
= A. j. Kitchener endorsed the
paper fully and was in favor of
5 immediate legislation for govern
: ment control.
: Jos. Grove, Jos. Scarborough
+; and M. G. Reeder each expressed
1 full unity with the paper but de
S clined to discuss it.
: Alfred McVey considered the
9 proposition of government control
rather hazardous at this time, as
f with such vast enterprises in the
f grasp of politicians the situation
3 might be no better. j. Pierpont
t Morgan he cited as controlling nine
r thousand millions Of property, that
r was directly under his influence.
+, He might be willing to believe that
] the government might at least do
2 no worse.
? R. X. Rawlings, Frank Cherry,
: M. l.. Thompson, and Jas, Max,
] we'll expressed approval of the
r essay, and of immediate legislation.
= The visitors being called indi.
D vidually for criticisms Prof. Tai
j iaferro stated that he could not
/ unite fully with the essay. He
united with the secretary's views
a regarding trusts that they are not
e all bad. He was not Socialist in
SQntimnnt uot ha haIiauoI tho 4;,>, y