The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-17
TRE LIMITATION o. FORTUNES
IN AMERICA.


OF Americans tells them that the next cleo
ton will probably be the COMMENCEMENT
OF a parting OF In ways" The intense
individualism OF America. which u fostsred
alike by her freedom and her Constitution,
shows signs Of giving way at one particular
point. The people at large. unless we mis-
take tho symphonic, have begun 70 dread
the growth Of a new baronage which threat
ens the cardinal principles upon which the
republic was built. A q consequence,
partly Of enormous prosperity. due to the
~unceasing industry Of seventy nnillionS OF
men with whom industry n At oncs . duty
and a pride, n partly Of protection, indi-
viduals and corporations are becoming 10
wealthy that they threaten the very root
conditions Of the State. The Union 10 built
upon the equal freedom Of its whole people
to secure those conditions Of happiness in
which. a. Americans believe. the Old World
Ia deficient. An American, In his own judg-
ment, should enjoy safety from oppression,
sufficient material plenty In his household,
and n free caFeer-that Is, . career not
impeded by any artificial social conditions.
The Freedom from oppression, a. oppression
il understood In Europe, isstill secured, the
plenty is still enjoyed by all except the re-
siduum OF tho great cities, but the career Ia
nov seen to be impeded by-aRgregatlons OF
wealth In the hands Of individuals and Of
corporations such a. the founders Of the
republic would have considered incredible.
The new beronage OF multimillionaires are
practically able 70 deny equality OF oppor-
tunity to all who oppose them, and often
demand and secure illegal advantages Of
the most CALLING kind. II Crassus breads
-a-.l-- - 49, $500 49, - 1tkkwAa e.
quit business, through rebates he oan mo-
nopolize the use OF the railroads, through
-corners'-that 10, nnonopolies-he can raise
the price Of everything except o o almost
at discretion, and lately, a wa see in the
Chicago scandals, he has threatened for
the sake Of exaggerated profits even the
wholesomeness OF necessary food. The
people therefore who we're at first inclined
to be proud Of their multimillionaires, ss
Of something that Europe could not rival,
are growing angry with the kind Of anger
which Is reckless OF consequences and which
in tho older countries OF the world pro-
duces bread riots. As yet tho first objects
OF popular Antipathy are the great corpora
tons, or, as they call them In America,
trusts or syndioates, which, though they
usually enrich very few, avert by their
character Of companies the odium which
would accrue TO individuals. So strong
has this feeling grown that the prospective
candidates Of the two historic parties have
both declared war upon the combinations.
Mr., Roosevelt, the Republican, or, a the
early founders would have called him, the
Federalist, insists that there must be ma
tional control OF all the trusts trading in
more than one State; while Mr.. Bryan, the
Democrat, proclaims publicly his wish
that all trusts should be -extirpated.' In
other words, men welding huge aggrega-
ions OF wealth are declared 10 be In a sense
public enemies, who must be prevented by
an~ticipatory laws from using their terrible
weapon to the injury OF thu community,
for IL is clear, without argument, that you
cannot restrain the action Of the over
wealthy syndicate without restraining also
the action Of the overweslthy individual,
To tho small trader who hopes 10 got
up'-that is, who hopes for a free career
it is no great matter whether ths
obstacle 10 his hopes IL called Mr.. Rookie
Teller or the Standard Oil trust.
II at the next election an immense ma
jority OF the people proclaim by their votes
that this is their governing impulse the
change TO be Effected In the economic legis-
lation Of the States must ultimately be very
great. In the first place, protection must
20, or must at all events be shorn OF It's pres
emit gigantic strength. Protection is the
great bulwark Of the trusts, or let US say
the glaci- which must be crossed before the
citadel can be successfully attacked. Mr..
Bryan already perceives this clearly, an d
makes in public the odd suggestion that
whenever o particular item In the tariff
is plainly iniuring the community the
President shall have power to suspend or
repeal it-a gigantic increase to the power
Of the national Executive, at which, We
think, even Hamilton would have WINGED
while Mr.. Roosevelt, though he does not
advocate such a departure from precedent,
does admit that the tariff must be modihed-
by Law, OF course-wherever 1t 10 clearly
! opposed to the interest of the community.
In the second place it will be necessary to
bines" 10 penal legislation, probably to be
enforced by commissions instead Of juriee,
! and thus to make the formation Of monopo-
lies - dangerous as the -rsgrating" Of bread
once was in Europe. And in the third place,
new laws will be necessary to promote dis
| tribution at death. avs which We may
OoSOrlDo a. aJALutsS Oh soOulAT WOTLtuaRu'
In Europe such laws are now nearly universal
in restriction Of the Church's individual
ism" because, as a Church nj die and
does not waste. it would otherwise gradu-
ally concentrate the whole property Of the
country in clerical hands. And with the
small American families nothing but a new
system Of distribution at death can pre-
vent gigantic acoumulations. In the third
generation q multimillionairO might hold
several hundred millions sterling and bo
master Of all means Of communication in
three or four States. even IL not Of many
Of the lesser Legislatures. What the new
scheme Of distribution is to be we cannot
pretend 10 ~foreses, but that testators dis
posing Of vast sums will be restrained from
bequeathing more than a fixed amount TO
individual lsgatees we think exceedingly
probable. Opinion in America already
favors equal division among the children
at death. which may be called the most nat
ural system Of d~evolution, and II that re-
s~triction should prove insufficient a wider
area OF inheriting relatives may be included
or even the cost Of national education may
- Dartialiv nrOvidad out Of thoaa surplus