INTRODUCTION. 401 



ruptly influenced, that even executives and judges are not 

 free from partisan, from corporation or from money control. 

 A money-bags Senate of the United States, with railroad 

 presidents and attorneys and Standard Oil servants among 

 its members, is not calculated to inspire confidence among 

 the people. In the domain of business the perversion 

 is equally plain. Under the forms of law corporations or 

 combinations fix the production, and regulate the prices of 

 coal, of iron, of oil and many other necessaries of life or 

 essentials of industry. They have rendered it impossible 

 for individuals to undertake many kinds of business that 

 were formerly open to all. Combination has killed com- 

 petition, and the conspiracy laws operate to punish men 

 for striking against starvation wages. It was plainly time 

 that an earnest protest should be made against this condi- 

 tion and the tendencies. As one party had no disposition 

 to do it, and the other seemed to lack the courage or 

 ability, the labor movement started. " New York World. 



"The great American agricultural industries, which 

 give employment to more than one-half the workers for 

 wages, whose welfare is held up (properly so) as the high- 

 est aim of legislation, and whose products constitute at 

 least 80 per cent, of our exports, receive no real considera- 

 tion here, and are not even ranked among the industries 

 of the country over which Congress is asked or expected 

 to throw its protecting arm. * * * It seems as though 

 it was thought to be the duty of Congress to see to it that 

 the rich be made richer by making the poor poorer.'' 

 Senator Beck in his speech in the United States Senate^ 

 December 2$th, 1885. 



"The rapid growth of corporate power and the malign 

 influence which it exerts by combination on the National 

 and State Legislatures, is a well grounded cause of alarm. 

 A struggle is pending in the near future between this over- 



