The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-05-12
Ajax Well Pleased.
TO the patient readers who have
been kind enough to read my
former statements in these col

"O the patient readers who have
been kind enough to read my
former statements in these col
umns, lave few words to
say. Some few weeks ago / wrote an
article upholding the trusts. felt as
sured that all deep thinkers would
agree with my views on the subject
and warned everyone who read my
lines to beware of fanatics who refuse
to distinguish the difference between
progress and tyranny. That such IA
natics do exist is proven by an oppon-
ent who has appeared in answer to my
argument. His last bad break calls for
more amusement than any former ar
ticle he has written. The heading, for
starter, is huge joke emanating
from my opponents fertile imagina-
tion,-"Ajax in Rage"
By what stretch of fancy does he
come to the conclusion that l am in a
rage? Any sane jury would acquit
me of the charge of anger, if they read
my former articles and this one.
My opponent defied me to name the
town on the bum, placed there by its
own folly in bucking the trust. | did
so, but now I am politely informed
that must wait for NY opponents ar
gument on that subject until such time
as the original question is entirely for
gotten, like the town itself.
After being regaled with ancient
mythology concerning the Greeks,
$500 brings us down to modern times.
And what does he say? Listen: "The
increase of sales of sugar made by the
independents is greater in proportion
to the amount of capital employed
than the increase of sales of sugar
made by the sugar trust" What is he
kicking about if that is true? Answer
this without evasion: Where does the
bowl come in if the independents are
SO manifestly prosperous? And again,
if the price of sugar was put up sever
al points Immediately after the sugar
war, because the independents could
not or cannot produce enough sugar to
supply the demand, is not that in itself
an enforcement of the law of supply
and demand? Does $500 accuse the
trust of initiating prices when the sup
ply does not equal the demand? AS
soon as farmers stop killing hogs, up
goes pork, trust or no trust. That's
good law and logic. Whose fault is it
if the independents fail to produce
enough sugar to 60 around?
The oil trust, 5599 fairly revels in.
Hear this: In substance 5599 says Mr.
Rockefeller first denied being connect
ed with the South Improvement Co.
and later admitted his connection with
it. If that is correct it has no bearing
on the trust as trust; it relates only
Mr.. r s personal veracity, which does
not, nor can it ever, affect the public's
position regarding trusts. Regarding
the Buffalo case-the fact that the
agents of the Standard Oil Co. were
convicted of conspiracy and punished
for it only proves what said before
that no man or set of men can defy the
majesty of the law with impunity
Especially is this true in great com.
monwealths such as New York and
Ohio, where law is enforced with the
greatest precision. As to the Oil Co. re.
fusing to make public its private books
on the ground of disclosing incriminat
ing secrets, or for any other reason, the
same law that would punish upon con
viction, also emphatically states that
no one need introduce evidence tend
ing to incriminate himself. Blame the
law then, and not the Standard Oil Co
for keeping private papers to itself.
About the "noble men who are called
demagogues," I've only to say that
when any apostle of any cause rests on
q firm, true and sensible foundation he