IN THE REALM OF THE TRUST.
By C. M. S.
THE trust spirit has taken hold of the times with a grip of iron, and no large industry is free from it. Confederacy for self-protection in the accumulation of wealth, inspired by an abnormal craving for money, is the actuating principle in all trust organization. Greed has run wild, and sees in every human being a rival, a competitor, from whom it must be protected. That this craving is abnormal is shown in the fact that it is utterly impossible for thousands to-day to use legitimately, or for their own requirements, their massive incomes. The income of one individual, for instance, is $164,383 for every day in the year; and this man is said to be a confirmed dyspeptic, living mostly on crackers and milk. In spite of nature's object lesson to him of his inability to use his income for himself, the price of the commodity handled is forced higher in the market, and the income of the poor drawn upon to pay it. The trust spirit is not confined to the manufacturing industries, but the increased price of trust-produced articles has inspired the agricultural interests with the thought that they must form trusts or be forced to the wall and driven to penury. Accordingly, the farmers' trusts are forming to keep up the price of farm produce; fruit-growers are forming trusts to keep up the price of their products. Labor unions are moved by the same spirit,—a confederacy for self-protection in the acquirement of money. To the man of the world it seems necessary. He sees an approaching fire, and he will fight it with fire. He sees a menace in the attempt of a greedy man to gain wealth more rapidly than he ought by reducing the wage of those who labor for him. He will form a confederacy to protect the laborer, by keeping up the price of the laborers' work. But this is meeting the world with the weapons of the world; and there never was a time in the history of this world when that spirit prevailed as it does to-day. It is the age of confederacies in every walk of life. But God says, "Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid." But what should the people do at such a time as this?—"Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread." Isa. 8:12, 13. The location of this is shown by the fact that at that time Spiritualism would be a menace to the church, and the law of God would be proclaimed anew among the disciples. That time is now. And the Word is warning the people of this time against the spirit of worldly confederacy. The spirit of the trust and the union is not the Spirit of Christ. It is not the spirit of turning the other cheek to the smiter, but of smiting him who has smitten you. It is not the spirit of willingly going twice the distance you were compelled to go, but of compelling the other man to go with you twice the distance you went with him,—the spirit of compelling an adequate return for the coat demanded and a liberal rental for the cloak if he required them both. This spirit is the spirit of modern "business;" but it is not the Spirit of Christ. It is the spirit against which Christ is now warning you and me; but it is the spirit, nevertheless, which rules the world to-day. Let us heed the warning, and beware of the confederacy of sin.