The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-10-02
WILLIAMS GRILLS
TRUSTS WITH Vim
Continued From Eleventh Page

risy, or is it confession of impotence
upon the part of this great government
in dealing with artificial persons doing an
interstate business?
tion of the corporations division of the
department of commerce. for the purpose
of shedding the light of much boosted
publicity on the affairs of trusts, as a
remedial agent for trust evils, you will
take notice of, at the same time that you
remember. how the attorney general re-
fused to give any publicity to his IN
formation concerning the railroad and
coal barons combine. The department
of commerce and labor has failed to this
good day to shed any light of publicity,
however. wholesome, upon the affairs OF
that combination.
If the department of commerce and la
Dor has dug up any secrets, or obtained
any information, hurtful to any trust,
why has it not made them public? Is it.
holding them back, as so many things
are being held back by our Republican
friends, It'll after election? What part
of this information. and against which
the basis of possible future prosecution?
Is it to be that part of this information
which is injurious to those trusts which
have not contributed to the Republican
campaign fund, when so requested by the
finance committee, late head of the de-
partment of commerce and labor, sup
posed at any rate to have inquired and
found out things, now chairman of the
Republican national committee?
How Did corteyou Happen to Happen
Another question, a question which 1
would like to have answered by the
president: Is Mr.. Cortelyou going to be
campaign and election? Let there be de-
NAL that he will be. Why was Mr.. Cor
telyou, of all men, made chairman of the
Republican national committee? He has
had no experience in like work and no
reputation for peculiar fitness for it,
unless, indeed, having been chief of the
department of commerce and labor con-
-StituteS in itself peculiar fitness for the
place-along some lines of anticipated OPP
Grafton. Was the fact that he had been
secretary of commerce and labor the rea-
son why he was appointed on the presi-
dents demand? Was it the chief reason?
Was it one reason?
How comes it that, up to a few short
weeks ago, it was in eVerybody'S mouth
mates were 'at outs, and that now they
are falling into one another's arms while
his safety and sanity are being loudly
recognized by them? 1t may be that it
has all been nothing but rumors, but, If
more than rumors, then have there been
negotiations? Has there been a treaty of
peace between the political and indus
trial magnates? Or is it a modus vivendi
so, who negotiated the treaty? Who ar
ranged the terms Of the moduS vivendi?
What are its terms? Is it Inconsistent
with the public interest to let US know
them? Oh, the hypocrisy of these pre-
lenses of trust-slaughter upon the part
of our friends and political opponents!
Defines Trusts
But the failure to do anything is some
times excused upon the ground that
there are good trusts" doing "a legiti-
mate business" and that they ought not
to be interfered with. Are there? To
answer that question let us ask what is
trust? What is the object of its for
nation? How does it practically attain
its object? Can its formation be pre-
vented by the federal government, in
whole or in part? If so, how? And
what is the measure of the jurisdiction
of the federal government over it?
tions seeking monopolistic control of pro-
Luction, or of transportation, with view
to the profit of those engaged in forming
and ma1aggnig the combination ni Is that
out think it out for yourselves. The
definition incidentally answers the QueS-
ton: What is the object of trust?''
It's object is not pleasure, nor philan-
public gain, but private gain How can
the combination make more gain or a
given gain at less expense, than the con-
stituent corporations? 1 answer in all
or in one of these ways, to-wit:
First. by selling its product at high
er price. because there is actually, or
practically, nobody else for the consumer
material. out of which its product is
made, at lower price, because there is
actually. or practically, nobody else for
the producer of the raw material to sell
TO. Third, by paying labor smaller
wage or by paying fewer lsborers, be-
cause there is actually, or practically, no.
body else for that particular sort of
laborer to hire to. Fourth. by obtaining
cheaper transportation rates for the raw
material to the mill or for the finished
product from the MILL because by its
immense financial and industrial power,