People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-06-16
VOL. III.
Antitrust Convention.

OF practical results and was made 50
by old partiSanS who were afraid of
adopting anything radical for fear it
would operate to the benefit of the
rising young POpulist party which
oelieyeSsn going after trust like a
good farmer would 20 after an
obnoxious weed in his corn field
pull it up by the roots.
There were delegates present from
about thirty states and territories.
Gov. Nelson of Minnesota was made
chairman. John Sherman, who was
appointed as delegate from Ohio,
failed to show up, as did also the
governor of New York, Roswell P.
Flower, who being in the city was
extended special invitation, mas
much as he had failed to appoint
delegates from his state.
1t soon became apparent that the
convention had been packed by old
party governors with the delegates
who though openly opposed to trusts
were nevertheless their friends.
One delegate from Pennsylvania, j.
b. Corey, early got nettled at some
OF the structures Of that eloquent
gentleman from Minnesota, Ignatius
DOnnelly, and poured forth a yolley
of political hummer" phrases at
Donnelly and the sort of people he
represented and in his Over-zealous-
ness let drop the remark "us coal
men," which rendered his remarks
lmpOtent and made him the laughing
stock of the convention. This dele
gate atfimed that he had never heard
OF any coal trust and later was told
all about how they had robbed his
state, how his state had changed its
constitution to eXterminate them
and how seryile legislatures had
rendered the voice of the people as
expressed in its amended constitution
wholly invalid and imperative, this
information being given in a care
fully prepared address by Henry D.
Lloyd of Chicago, the data of which
was based on reports of United
States commissions appointed to
investigate. Another delegate from
Pennsylvania got up and apologized
for the state of Pennsylvania and
said that he would like to uphold her
fair name if such were possible but
he was humiliated to have to admit
chat all that had been stated in Mr.
LlOyd's address concerning the trusts
and the history of antitrust legisla-
zion was true.
ROSewater of the Omaha Bee was
made chairman Of the committee on
resolutions and when his report was
made to the convention he moved its
adoption as a whole. General Weay-
er was on his feet in an instant and
moved that it be considered by
paragraphs. ROSewater said the
convention had no right to consider
1t In that way, that it must either he
accepted as whole or not at all
that he had been in a river conyen.
tion presided over by John ]. ingalls,
Then president of the Senate and
that he had so ruled. Weaver
retorted that this convention was
not being run on parliamentary
principles laid down by Mr.. Ingalls,
out on those in the manual of parlia.
mehtary rules and that it was
prepoSterouS to suppose that a con.
uentlon could not do what it pleased
with any report or any committee if
created, Mr.. ROsewater's idea was
hoOted out of the convention.
Ihe committees report was as
follows:
whereas, Combinations in res.
tralnt OF trade and the free exercise
OF personal rights have been by the the
courts OF this country declared To he
dangerous, unlawful and void against
public policy: and ''i''
whereas, 1t is apparent that LOO.
is.aGion seeking the suppression of
S1ch combinations is not vet com.
ptete and efficient, and the eyecntion
OF existing laws is in MANY cases
hagrantly neglected: '''
Resolved, That it is the sense Of
inlS convention that the State and
Federal legislatures upon carefnI
investigation of grievances and
remedies should enact new and more
stringent laws and amend old ones
looking to the complete extinction of
unlawful combinations DESTROYING
competition in production or ex,
change
Resolved, That we recommend TO
the legislatures of the respective
states that they enact such iegisla.
Zion as will make it unlawful for any
corporation to enter into any trust or
combination detrimental to trade
ana commerce and injuries to the
pubic welfare, and work forfeiture
'ot the charter or corporate franchises
ot domestic interpretations and deny
ing 10 foreign or nonresident cor.
poratlons comfy between states. or
Ihe right to transact the business of
tile states into which such corpora.
lions may attempt to come.
Resolved, That it is the sense of
In