Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-03-21
the TRUST PRoBlEM.

the TRUST PROBLEM.
The American people are unit on
one idea, namely that the trusts are
dangerous, q standing threat against
the welfare of the common people.
Only the owners of trust stock dispute
this. >>@ s-sss-~
Political parties are unit on that
subject Not one of them but tries to
make the people believe that it is op-
posed to trust domination in the in
dustrial world.
And still the trusts flourish and in
crease in number and power every
day. Are they really greater than the
whole people?
No; but they are united in prevent
ing action against them, while the
people are divided.
1t is the old doctrine of the sacred
ness of the rights of property that
stands in the way. We have been
told so many times that the prosperi-
ty Of the country depends on the rich
that we are afraid to stir Tor fear of
precipitating crisis.
That is the dominant note in the re-
publican platforms and the recon-
mendations of the president. "Do
what you can to regulate trusts, but
do nothing to make capital distrust-
ful," is the watchword of the party.
And therefore the only legislation it
can pass Is of such a character that
every trust representative can and
does vote for it.
All the capitalists strong enough to
have any influence on the world of
finance are interested in trusts. You
can't regulate any large trust
without alarming the great captains
OF finance. We are bound hand and
foot as long as we act on that theory.
Undoubtedly, as long as we persist
in financial policy that makes it
possible for the large capitalists to
regulate the amount of money in cir
culation we shall have to face crisis
in order to free ourselves from trust
domination. But would it not be
worth the price to restore Industrial
liberty even if the restoration meant a
temporary crisis?
The permanent prosperity of the
United States is not a product of capt.
tai. Capital is ore of the products of
the sources thai bring that prosperity.
The fertile soil, the splendid climate,
the immense mineral wealth, the in
dustrious intelligent populations and
the genius of American inventors are
the factors that produce the wealth
and prosperity of .he nation. These
cannot be destroyed by the capitalists
no matter how angry they get over
any legislation that may be passed.
The party that is to solve the trust
question must take for it's fundamen-
tai idea that it is not necessary to
1egislate to make this country rich.
What is necessary is to legislate to
keep few brilliant and unscrupuIous
people from getting an unfair share
in the distribution of the products of
labor and natural wealth of the coun-
try. ~ 1872
The .mineralzwealth of the country
ought to belong to the people. A pri-
vate corporation controlling the prin-
cipal mineral products, such as coal
and iron, exercises q monopolistic in
huence in the industrial world and is
therefore dangerous. s...>ss
The means of distribution ought to
belong to the entire people and every:
body treated alike in tie matter Of
rates and facilities for shipping.
When we get this one Of the most po-:
tent tools Of monopoly will have been
5Wrested out Of the hands of the pluto
Gratis. Industrial trusts will then not
be able to stide competition by means
ofrebates, or by selling their products
very cheap and making their profits
/ on their incomes from the tranporta-
tion companies.
81. The money system ought to belong
70 the people, to prevent the plutocrats
from threating tho people with : imam
cial crisis unless they tamely submit
20 monopol istio CONTROL.
The party that rea Lies that the poo
pls and Tho land, not the money mag
! naaes, sare sourcess off ;true prosper
sityHill hsy1Ee1 10 q m bp9 otar-