The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-04
A RICH TOBACCO MANUFACTtUIR-
ElR WHO KNOWS THE
EVILS OF TRUSTS.
THE TRUST AND THE LOB3Y MUST GO
There is Needed a Governor Who Shall Say 10
the Lobby, The Tool Of the Trusts,
"You Must Stay Away from
the State Capitol"

ST. Louis. Mo-, May 2l.-(EditOrial
Correspondence )-One of the most inter-
esting figures in the public eye in the
Central West is Col. Moses G.. Wetmore
who spoke on '"rrusts and Democracy"
at the big antitrust banquet. He came
to st. Louis as boy, with no money,
and he ranks today with the millionaires
of st. Louis. He has made his millions
honestly-in the good, od-fashioned way.
Until recently, he was member of the
big tobacco firm of Liggitt, Myers Il
Co. the biggest concern in the West
1t has been thorn in the side of the
American Tobacco Company. consistent
~ refusing to go into the trust or to sell
out to them. Last winter. when it was
given out with great flourish of trum-
pets that the Union Tobacco Com
pany had been organized to fight the To-
bacco trust, an option was obtained on
the Liggett, Myers & Co. concern, and
under that sleight-of-hand performance
the Trust bought by indirection what
they had failed to buy directly. Col.
Wetmore has been the leading anti
trust fighter in the West, and he is con-
vigorous war on trusts they will win the
fight hands down in 1900.
Col. Wetmore is no politician, has no
political ambition and is interested in
politics now because he has had a per-
sonal opportunity to see the dangerous
and ruinous spirit pursued by the gigan-
tic trusts. He has plenty of money and
could spend the balance of his days in
luxury and foreign travel, but he is one
of the rich men of America who have
not fallen down in worship of the Golden
Calf He loves his country more than
he loves dollars. and has not per-
mitted wealth to lead him away from
those principles which give equal opaor-
dunity to all men in the race for fortune
Now that he has gotten rich. Col Wet
more is not willing to join hands with
trust magnates to kick down the lad
der on which he and they climbed to
success. He wants to keep the ladder
free so that other industrious and push
ing men may, round by round, climb
lip to fortune or a competency. That 5
the feeling that actuates Col Wetmore
and it is because of such a sentiment
that he has thrown himself, heart and
soul. into this antitrust movement
which is profoundly stirring the people
i'm all parts Of the country.
Col. Wetmore has devoted his life to
business, and does not claim talent as a
speaker. He has a head full OF sense,
however, and his speech AT the Danquer
on TRUSTS and Democracy" was full
of epgrams fraught with Illumination OF
his subject. He said:
COL. NETWORKS SPEECH.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The next President of the United
States will be Democrat; an od-fash-
ioned, simon pure, Jeffersonan Demo
crat, with the fear of God and the love
of man in his heart. He will be elected
on a platform riveted with bolts of steel
to the eternal truth of the equality OF
man: and the strongest plank III mat
platform will declare, in unequlvocal
unmistakable language that the nefar'-
ous and soulless trust system sha'i Eo
longer have q place in the American Re-
public. And when this PLATFORM Shaii
have been made we will place upon II
man in whom the people WI have 'll'
most implicit confidence: man wh0
will veto every bill passed by Congress
bearing the impress of the Shiny hand
of the trusts. And if the national admin
iStration. consisting of the trusts, OF
Senator Hanna and Mr.. Mckinley. say:
1--WE, too, are opposed to trusts" we
will say to them:
For more than three years you have
had absolute control of the Cove .nment
in all its branches. and you have per
mitted it to almost become the United
Trusts of America, and we want NJ more
of such antitrust work, and will have
no more of such antitrust people"
We shall say to them that the people
of this country intend to take the Gov
ernment from The hands of thu trusts
and place it where it belongs, AMI the
people will assume the Government
handed down to them by their fathers
and if they say to us:
1--WE intend to continue the single
gold standard" we will say to them tina
the people in the future will decide OF
what kind of money they will use. Ant
if they say to us: 1--WE mast have :
large standing army of 100000 men O
more to protect our foreign possession
and to keen the peace at home, we sinai