The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-06-06
DURHAM NEEDS COMPETITION

N. Duke, or George W. watts, as the
News and Observer implies, but it is
an association of hundreds of men
who manufacture a large part of the
tobacco consumed by the world. BY
reason of this association the bust
ness can be conducted to the advan-
tage of those engaged In the tooacco
business, but which results IN an
economic saving to h entire country.
Break up this efficient organization
and place the manufacture OF tooacco
in the hands of small individual con-
Germs and not only will you destroy
the world business that this organ1-
zation makes possible. but you will
cause the business to be conducted at
a distinct economic loss, to say moth
ing of h wasteful and destructive
competition that would result
but The News and Observer en-
cages in a pitiful lamentation over
the sitting of individual effort and
enterprise hat results from the large
ed with the American Tobacco COM
pany knows that it promotes individ-
ual effort rather than stiles it. The
individual manufacturers whose bus
mess was absorbed by the company
have not been put out of business,
but have become simply a part of the
larger association. An individual
IiONS CIOAlAly CI1Ou6A ~ SOiA00
a tobacco business for himself secures
a position with the American Tobacco
company that not only gives him a
greater financial return but gives him
a higher standing in the tobaccO bust
ness than HI could possibly secure
through individual enterprise. Some
of the highest officials Of the Amerl
are men who started in the business
ten or fifteen wears ago as rOnPh
country boys from Durham and 9TH
er counties of the State. The men
who will direct the affairs of the
mighty tobacco empire when the
men who are now at the helm shall
have passed away as they will soon
who have worked themselves up
from the bottom by individual effort
and ability. The same thing will be
true and has been true in the other
large corporations Of the country. It
is true in the railroad corporations,
which having furnished perhaps the
most striking illustration Of the
striking phenomenon Of modern bus
mess. It fs true that no other indi-
viduals will have the opportunity to
construct such a magnificent corpora
ton as the American Tobacco com
pany; but What is the difference be-
tween securing control Of a great
business that is already developed by
individual effort and ability and
developing that business by that abil-
ity?
THE remedy for the so-called trust
evil is not in wanton destruction Of
corporations, but in proper govern
ment regulation. If the laws Of the
country are not sufficient to keep the
corporations from taking unjust ad-
vantages the machinery Of law-mak-
ing is in the hands of the people. If
B. l.. Duke and B. n. Duke and
George w. Watts have violated the
laws Of the Ian they should receive
their just punishment, even to a term
in the penitentiary, If the high courts
Of the land adjudge them worthy of
that severe punishment. And they
themselves will be the last to protest
If such Just punishment was melted
out to them.
The above editorial is printed tn
full because We wish to let our read
ers see the whole argument advanced
by our contemporary. 1t is the argu-
ment often made by those who, like
the Sun, think the prosperity produc-
ed by all the people and monopolized
by the trust Is due to the activities OF
the trusts. The head lines Of the edi-
torial discloses the fact that the wri-
ter does not understand at all the
motive of the men who wish to put
an end to trust policies. It is not a
"~destructive mania" There is no
spirit anywhere among the pponent
Of monopolies to destroy property OF
tnture corporations, The motive is al
together n Of building up on Ameri-
can lines and all that they wish to do
is to destroy h illegal practices of
the men who have combined to AXE
unto themselves the bulk Of the prof
its in the tobacco business and make
serfs Of all others engaged in the to-
bacco business, The trust has con-
verted the tobacco world into one of