La Junta tribune., 1912-03-02

condition Of vast sums OF money at
work producing and distributing the
necessities Of the people and the
problem Of handling that massed
wealth 30 that II may serve ana not
wrong the people. But because In
legislation and government, during
latter years. We have let dead men do
our thinking for US instead OF doing
our thinking for ourselves. we have
permitted this condition to oppress
~ we'll as serve the people. We can
not tear down and cart off the con
dition itself unless We 30 back to
the day Of the or wagon and sptnning
wheel. So common sense Gays tina
We ought to save the good and get
rid Of the bad in that condition.
But, more than two decades ago,
Congress passed a law which denied
the condition itself. II denied the
Increase Of population denied steam
and electricity; denied tho railroad
the telegraph and the telephone; de
MED the whole evolution OF industry;
denied the facts OF modern business
II declares that our economic stu
alton Is that Of Europe in the mid
dls ages-for II Is the re enactment
Of An English statute Of the seven.
teenth century Yet ever sincc the
civil war we Americans have been
living century In = decade compared
with the worlds change and progress
In former tines
The Sherman law was meant to
prevent trusts-not to remedy their
evils. Yet 1t utterly has failed even
to check their growth and has not
even touched their evils. Since H.
enactment organized capital engaged
In industry has developed more fully
than In the whole history Of the world
before, Administrations Of both po.
litical parties have dealt with tina,
law with futility. Scores Of courts
have ground out an unheard Of vol
ume Of decisions on II without avail
The last OF these were the decrees OF
the federal courts under the judGmen
OF the supreme tribunal OF the ma.
ton In the cases OF the two greatest
trusts on earth. These decisions and
decrees were supposed TO combine 4 +,
wisdom and justice Of the highest
authority among mankind 30 far as
this law permitted.
Yet the oil and tobacco trusts are
more alive today than ever. because
they now live under the express ap
proval OF courts: while not a wrong
which they inflicted on the people
has been ended. They stIli can Issue
watered stock and viii do 30. They
still can raise prices and have dom
so. They still can debauch . the pee
pies government through corrupt pol.
iticians and the peoples official ser
wants. aud the future will prove that
their malign activities In politics will
be more dangerous because more
subtle than ever. These trusts havv
not suffered: they actually have bsn.
Gifted. But the people do suffer aud
have not benefited. Even every dol
lar OF expense these trusts have been
put TO by this fruitleSs litigation will
be taken from the pockets Of th,
people.
And this Ia not the : orst: for Al.
though these mighty agencies Of
commerce have not been hurt Ia the r
bad possibilities. the smaller on,s
have been hurt In ,heir good posi-.
bilities. No two American business
men today can agree on the mutual
conduct of their affairs and be ab.
solutely sure that they are not law
breakers. The hands Of the hundred
OF Thousands Of honest American bus
ness men are shackled with uncertain
~ and numbed with fear. And yet
the welfare Of millions Of wagc-,arH.
ers and other millions Of farmers whD
feed them. depends upon the honor
able activities Of American business
men just ~ the success Of these busi.
mes men depends upon the welfare OF
our millions Of farmers and iaborers
Under such . state Of things ",
Americans could not live At all. b.
for the fact. that. even yet. WE ar
comparatively few In numbers and
have stupendous natural wealth. We
are only ninety millions Of people
woven together by steam aud clec.
tricity Il 10 true. yet having = cont.
mont for our home. We have richer
Mines Of coal. iron. silver. gold ana
other metals than any other county.
We have larger agricultural wealth
thaa any other natioa. But suppose
that most q ~ we're packed into the
STATE Of TEXAS aal that nature had
taken away non Texas half Of i,s