Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-10-10
NEGROES AND MoSoPoLIBs.
Repr resentative Milliken Interviewed on
the Race Problem and Trusts.


WAsHINGToN, Oct. 8.
Senators and repre- sentatives continue to
arrive, and good deal Of important talk is
heard about the coming work of congress.
The ssion will be an exceptionally impor.
tant one. Many great national questions
will come up. Representative Seth l.. Mil
liken of Maine was asked:
"Do you consider the race question a sub
ject for legislation?"
Il think it is a subject upon which no man
can speak today, feeling certain that he 10
correct in his conclusions. 1t 10 a question
that has never come up in any country, and
think that any person who assumes to know
beforehand what should be done, asserts
what no man can do with any certainty.
Every man, woman and child should be en-
titled to the full protection Of the laws and
all the immmnities Of American citizens, and
any denial of any right to any citizen is
menace to the rights Of every other citizen.
"What the other race question can develop
in the future nobody can tell. There is
only one position for American legislators to
take today, and that is that every man in the
country who has 4 right guaranteed to him
by the Constitution and laws should be pro-
tected in that right.
Free Votes tr Revolution.
Common Just ice would dictate at once
that the colored vote ough: to he allowed to
be cast. Every c,,ore man las the same
right to have his tie cast that every other
man has. The moment yau see man's
rights taken wsy under tn, laws you see
anarchy. You see that IN, laws are not
obeyed, and if tie laws are not obeyed there
is no law that is with any ce. II there 10
any portion OF this c,uitry in which the
laws cannot be enforce then it 10 of serious
importanc to tn" repub &c. When the laws
cannot be enforced ,nrL revolution i, on
hand
al horestly believe hat a nan shou Tot
vote wh CAM d do 50 int l;ye NV. hi lien
there would be thou inds Of difficulties in
drawiny the Hne. O,e Of tn certsinties is
that the privilege If votink will not be re-
stricted. The ma vhJ htv. t, will not
vote to give 1t AVA.
"Will til. trusts and N rkltJAis have
some sort OF l. yislahon aim = ta NJ
1.-The trssl- firm comp ,ratis-iv new
question 1t IS pos abe thss ihjse blcA II
the combination niay benefit tb b..nseiye and
benefit the ccmmun T. ss1 Ny opinion has
been thn til sugs' tru.t is very harmful.
but take the ,il trust. That was pioneer
in furnishing the country with oil. 1t IL
grea; question whether It has been mimic Il
to the community or not
There have been very few m )nop,iies.
continued Mr.. Miilken, "because the.r ex-
istence depends on the entire lack of COM
petition. Steam has been the father and
mother Of more monopolies thin any other
thing. 1t has centered great wealth in in
dustries that couli be competed wi favor
ably only by similar amount Of wealth
Now
This New Electric Power
seems to suggest that, as an invention created
monopolies inventions will break them up.
By steam great factories have been run that
could not be successfully competed With oy
q smaller enterprise. Take the shoe bus-
ness, for instance. Machinery has centered
the manufacturing of shoes in comparatively
few places. because the steam power ne :es-
ssry has been best utilized in great shops.
But if electricity can be distributed aod
stored and the shoemaker can have at hand
the power BY which he can use machinery
and manufacture on q small scale, success-
fully competing with the larger manufac-
turers, what is to prevent = breaking up to
some extent Of the great monopolies Of this
kind and return to smaller shops and more
independent workers. The blacksmith Who
cannot afford steam engine may be able to
take an electric wire in his shop and use the
power he can derive in that way"