New-York tribune., 1911-12-18
SEES DOOM OF TRUSTS
Jacob G. SChurman Says End OF
Private Monopoly Is Near.
PEOPLE IGNORING PARTIES
Recent Heavy Increase in Social,
ist Vote Most Important Sign
of Times, He Says.

of Times, He Says.
Jacob Gould Schurman, president OF Cor
nell University, told an audience in the
people's Forum. New Rochelle yesterday
that the plight of the trust managers was
serious one. lie said they could not
escape the impending doom by resorting 70
voluntary reorganization adding i thlnk
there is nothing clearer from the decision OF
the Two great cases in the Supreme Court
already decided than the conclusion that
our nonopolistic organizations are doomed
The meeting. which was presided over
bv Conde q Pallou, editor Of THE Cathohc
Encyclopaedia was attended by about 2,9VO
poople.
President Schurman said
We are living in an age Of unrest and
discomfort Never before has there been
anything like il iu this country. IN tne
mast there have often been SpeclNc SIouIius
Of conpIaint and dissatisfaction But WIN
their removal the American spirit has re-
gained its buovancy and optimism. We are
to-day like men moving about under a pan
which stretches 20 the horizon ana WIlCu
cannot ue broken through. Yet J. venture
10 assert that the oldest man IN TINS audl-
ence can recall nothing like II In MS eN-
parience The spirit Of discomfort Is tar
more widely dinused than ever before, ano
thu, causes are at once more lunhdHch'al
and more permanent
This spirit of restless discomfort j. nor
confined to the United States. We ma IL
IT, foreign countries and In all continents.
II IS especially active in England iran .
and Germany II has been controlHIE
influence IN Australia. II animates IN"
Nationalist party I'm Egypt. And IN Chlha
IL has burst forth with a colossal energy
which menaces the dynasty of the Manchus
and is certain 10 rovolutonize me linIu'-
mortal Institutions of that venerable en-
pirc.
I'm its most general form this revolution
Is one Of man the worker against the
governments. organizations or powerful IN
GiyidUals who have exploited him And IN
countries whose governments are already
democratic n takes the form of contest
between workers and owners or. IN more
abstract language, between labor and capi-
tai
The workincnen of the world are becom
ing possessed with the conviction that they
do not get a fair share OF the wealth OF
which they are the principal creators. Ana
with eyer-increa asing emphasis they are
calling on the state to correct TINS injustice
ana redress their wrongs.
In our November elections the minds and
hearts OF the people were not controlled ny
any dominant party issue. The result, as
everybody knows. was an overwhelming in
crease i'm the Socialist vote. | happened on
Election Day to be in Cincinnati where |
was speaking WIN BreSlutIl ldll llllUrflt
on behalf of his peace treaties with France
and England. II you ask what was the
most significant thing I'm the election re
turns in Ohio, I should not be at loss to
reply. I'm my opinion, the most striking
aud impressive thing IN these elections was
the capture of a dozen OF IN" smaller cities
by the Socialists. including Canton, IN"
home of the late President Mckinley.
No: the cure for the evils from which We
suffer is not 10 he found i'm tinkering with
our. system of representative government
and especially by "a reVersion 70 that reac-
tonary tyne of direct democracy which
destroyed the republics of antiquity. our
generation needs constructive measures or
a very different order. The disquiet and
unrest Of the age have 20 do with the con
dition of mutitudes Of men and women who
work hard to create the wealth Of the world
and who receive wage which they OelleVc
incommenSurate with the value of the ser
vices they render and which they know 10
he INADEQUATE for the maintenance Of a
decent livelihood. Genuine sympathy with
these toilers aud an Intelligent apPrecia-
ton of their condition must be the begin
ming Of any constructive work In contem-
porary American politics.
Take, for instance. recent criticisms OF
trade unions. The confessions of ihe Nc
Namara brothers zone of whom was a
prominent official IN q trade uniOn) have
been the occasion Of these attacks. Ger
tainlv the American people viii not tolerate
murder. dynamiting. arson or violence in
connection with strikes. And the awful
crimes committed by the McNamaras Will
deepen the feeling and intensity the de-
termination Of our people on thls noint Bnt
II is yerv unfair 10 hold the trade unions
responsible for the work OF some OF their
officials. 80
n there are other officials associated with
tbe NlcNamaras in this horrible crime il Is
earne.tlv TO be hoped thar they may be dis
covered and convicted. In the mean time.
however, every man has to be presumed
innocent until he Is proved guilty. In the
mean fine too il is unfair and Cowardly to
attack the trade unions or 10 hold them re-
sponsible for the crime.
The decisions In the cases OF the Stand
ard oil Company and the Tobacco company
had spread anxiety and alarm throughout
the business world. II is recognized that
there are other corporations which by their
very existence are an offence 10 the Sher-
man antitrust law. ma helluer !ne PItn-
ciplc laid down bv the supreme Court nor
the nolicv pursuad bv the government gives
them any hope of salvation. There Is no
way OF escape for them except Dy Nplun-
tary reorganization or an ainenuIHeht ol
the antitrust law.
While the decisions Of the supreme court
In the Standard on and Tobacco eases
make il clear that undue restraint or trace
and monOpoliZatiou viii no longer ne toI-
Grated i'm the United States, u does rot
follow. as 30 many business men are to-
daV assuming that all business comolna-
tions must be dissolved. What the cour;
forbids Is not every restraint OF uade' oIl
every undue restraint of trade
II may be that i'm the end II VIII be found
that somc forms Of productive enterprise
are natural monopolies.' IN TINS neIu
comuctition Is vastcCul and. OF course.
ought 10 be- impossible This is now recog-
uized I'm public service Industries Ike the
supply Of water, gas. electricity. street
railways and the like. as well as IN the
case of the railroad and telegraph business.
II II turns ont that ln manufacturing bust.
ness natural monopolles of this sort clearly
exist. we shall lfsve - deal with them as
We now deal with the transportation and
public service industries