The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-19
THE ANTITRUST CONFERENCE.
fRY L. A. PETTY

ciaI 1.-The animals which Governor Say
ers has stirred up by proposing that the
governors and attorneys general OF the
different States meet together for the pur-
pose Of agreeing upon an effective plan
of compelling trusts and monopolies to
respect the rights OF the plain, every
day consumer are becoming more aud
moro agitated as the date for said meet
ing approaches What at first seemed to
them q ludicrous attempt to get In the
way Of the big combinations formed for
the purpose OF crushing out competition
and acquiring control OF the trade of the
country in its principal lines, has as
sumed dangerous proportions and vitupera-
tion and misrepresentation have taken the
place Of badinage with them in discussing
It, For instance. the Chicago Times-Her-
aid. the official organ OF Hanna and Nc
Kinley. and champion par excellence OF the
high tariff, the gold standard and other
nm du steele devices and political patents
for the enthrallment OF Individual enter
prise and the coronation OF monopoly,
charges the governor with attempting to
force the universal adoption OF law that
nullifies the Ten Commandments. Not
satisfied with having succeeded in getting
this unique piece of legislation" upon the
statute books OF Texas he is now. II as
serts, scheming to impress the governors
OF other States with its beauties to such
a degree that they will recommend sim
liar legislation to their respective leglsla-
lures.
But" 1t adds, 1.-The Texas plan for driv-
ing capital and enterprise out of State
will never appeal to the governors who
are not thoroughly saturated with the
doctrines OF populism and reputation.
While 1t is not denied that the formation
of monopolies for the purpose of driving
out competition and increasing the prices
of commodities calls for prompt restrictive
measures, these combinations present no
menace to the people sufficiently grave to
Justify Reputation of honorably con-
tracted debts"
Now, all this sounds strangely familiar
For eight years or more statesmen OF
certain breed who have been thrown in
the discard down here have been preaching
the same kind of stuff to whoever would
listen to them. Every law that tends to
protect the many from the rapacity of the
few. or that has for its purpose the in
fusion of a little honesty into corporation
management, is denounced by them as an
unwarranted move for the protection of
suckers and a reprehensible interfer-
ence with the rights of capital. The mat
ter with these people, as with the Times
Herald and the crowd 1t speaks for, Is
that it Is not for legitimate investments of
capital that they feel concern. Promoters,
spectators and seekers after wealth by
nigh cuts are their ideal capitalists. Con-
sentative investors who look beyond the
mere multiplication of their wealth by
quickest possible method and who do
business with something besides wind and
water are no friends of theirs.
+ \ \
Following the example of the Times
Herald, the Nation OF New York, sort
of an independent" gold standard polly
which lays some claim to literary merit
also takes fall out of the governor Ac-
cording to its view of the matter mis-
theory of trade is that every one must ig-
more the existence of competitors The
governor, it says, while claiming that his
aim is to encourage competition, is really
trying to prevent 1t and expel human ma
ture from daily life.
These criticisms are based upon mis-
construction OF the anti-trust law passed
by the Twenty sixth legislature, and their
application to the governor Is prediSated
upon the gratuitous assumption that he
was the author of said act and that he Is
welded thereto and will attempt at the
st. Louis conference to force it's adoption
by other States. But the facts in the case
are that the governor had decided to call
l.StNe 1rfz
bill was introduced in the legislature.
Furthermore, there Is not a single Sec
ton of the act to which he can lay the
claim of ownership, and although 1t bears
his signature and will be presented by
him TO the assembled governors at st.
Louis for discussion he is ready to ac-
cept anything better or more effective that
may be devised for the checking of monop-
olies.
In his opinion the trust question, the
financial question and the tariff question
are inseparable and should he be able to
give impetus to n movement that would
lead to the settlement of all three to-
gether. the theories of government which
have obtained in this country for the past
thirty years, and the carrying out of which
has fostered the combinations which
threaten to swallow the fruits of indivld-
ual EFFORT and ingenuity, would be discard
ed and the party which has maintained it.
self in power by submitting to the domina-
ton OF Its benefclaries would lose its
identity. The Times Herald. the Nation,
and the other mouthpieces of monopoly
understand this well enough. and it is for
that reason that they feel an alarm which
they can not conceal. The Texas anti
trust law is worrying them but little
The possibility as a result of Governor
no ,,,,1
upon which the government of the United
States was founded is what is giving them
the nightmare, and nothing else.