Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-22

more properly called, the credit trust,
Is no myth. It is no imaginary thing.
II doesn't do business every day. You
can sometimes do something large
when IL isn't watching, but when it is
watching, you can't do much.
THE dominating danger in this
land is not the existence OF the great
individual combinations-that is dan
gerous enough in all coneeience-but
the combinations OF combinations, OF
the railways, the manufacturing enter
prises, the great mining projects, the
great enterprises for the development
of the natural water powers of the
country, threaded together in the per
sonnet Of series Of boards Of direc-
tors into community of interest
more formidable than any single con-
ceivable combination that dare appear
in the open"
Comes now the statement Of the
need and the declaration of the pur-
pose:
What we have got to do-and it is
a colossal task not TO be undertaken
with a light head or without judgment
what We have got to do mote the
repetition OF the word 'got') is to dis
entangle this colossal community of
interest When all the combina,
tions are combined and this final
combination Is not disclosed by any
process or Incorporation or law, but is
merely an identity of personnel or of
interest. then there is something that
even the government Of the nation it.
self might come to fear-something
for the law TO pull apart, and gently
and firmly and persistently dissect."
In Chapter TX. he says:
There is no hope to be seen for the
people Of the United States until the
partnership with big business and the
trusts, he means) is dissolved. And
the business of the party now intrust-
ed with power is going TO be to dis
solve it,"
In a chapter on monopoly or oppor-
tunity, Mr.. Wilson divorces the trusts
from big business. A business may be
big he indicates, without being a
trust He continues:
"The big trusts, the big combina-
tons. are the most wastefu1. the most
uueccGomical and, after they pass a
certain size. the most inefficient way
of conducting the industries of this
country.
a trust does not bring efficiency to
the aid of business; it buys efficiency
out NJ business. / am for big bust
ness and / am against the trusts.
The trusts have not grown. They
have been artifcially created. not by
natural processes. but BY the will the
deliberately planning will, of men who
were more powerful than their neigh
bors. and who wished to make their
power secure against competition"
Governor Wilson devotes a whole
chapter to Colonel Roosevelt and the
trust plank of the progressive party's
platform. He pays no attention to
the standpatter beyond statement
that the standpatter doesn't know
the procession has started. He is
asleep in the back part of the house -
OF Mr.. Roosevelt and the trust plank,
Mr.. Wilson says in language that will
be recalled as familiar:
Il said not long ago that Mr. Roose.
welt was supporting a plan for the con.
troll of monopoly that was supported
by the United States steel corpora
ton. Mr. Roosevelt denied that he
was being supported by more than one
member of that corporation. He was
thinking OF money. l was thinking OF
ideas. | did not say he was getting
money from these gentlemen; it was
matter Of a great deal of difference
TO me where he got his ideas.
He got his idea with regard to the
regulation of monopoly from the gen
uemen who form the United State.
steel corporation. -" want to say
that their ideas are not my ideas, anC
I am perfectly certain that they woulC
not promote any idea which interfereC
with their monopoly. AS l hope anC
intend TO interfere with monopoly JUS
rs much as possible, cannot sub
scribe TO arrangements by which the,
know that it will not be disturbed
$50
Il do not care how benevolent
master is going to be, will not liv,
under a master. You cannot us,
monopoly to serve a free people. = "
The trusts are our masters now
81
1t will be agreed that the very bold
ness Of these utterances challenges ad
miration for .he man who makes them
And yet one would not have them les
bold than they are. For the man VIII,
sets out to crush the great power o
the money trust must first of an b,
fearless of consequences to himsel
and secondly he must be a good fight
ing man. Woodrow Wilson is both
We shall see realized, within tn
scope OF his ability to secure it. al
that he has promised.
GOVERNOR DUNNE'S HONESTY