The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-16
ONE OF THE BLACKLIST PAGES
IN OUR COUNTRYS HISTORY
Bourke Cochran Discusses the Trust Problem at the
Trust Conference Other Speakers Urge an Amend
ment to the Constitution as Remedy

call it, that dominates market through
a restricted competition that delivers 1t
to the consumer of it on it's own terms,
necessarily depends upon narrow out
put and large profits extorted not from
the eXcellency of it's service, but from
the helplessness of those with whom it
deals. (Applause).
Now, there are three ways in which
the government interferes in the trade
of individuals in this country; one is
by patent laws.
The Mother of Trusts.
Another means by which the gov
ernment interferes is by tariff. Now, I
believe that every person can concede,
whether he believes in high tariff or
free trade, that so far as trusts are con-
cerned, the tariff operates to favor them
in this way and in this way only. 1t
operates to restrict competition in the
production of any article to those en-
gagged in 1T in this country. But if a
trust or combination is to be formed,
manifestly it aids the enterprise where
the field Of competition is originally
limited. Under a condition of free
trade every article which is produced
is exposed to the competition of the
whole world If you rely on the COM
bina ton to suppress competition, mani
festly it Is easier to make a combina-
ton between the producers in one coun-
try than in all countries, and to that
extent the tariff favors. Haughter)
There is still a third essential with
which we can deal and which l believe
is vastly more extensive in it's results
than this tariff in favor of trusts. And
| refer to those favors which are ex
tended to certain industries or from the
corporation enjoying government fran
chises which are none the less govern
,,-,s.. = NFst,, nnly sc
owned by private individuals. And here
we are face to face with a serious diff
Guilty First must assume it a serious
difficulty because it is almost imposst-
BILE to discover it. 1t is surrounded by
secrecy. That it is existing and does
exist, everybody believes.
But, my friends, you must remem-
ber that no person can enjoy favors at
the hands of any company enjoying
public franchise except at the expense
of another. 1t is true of every instance
where the government favors an indi-
vidual | have said in many places, and
/ say here, that the government cannot
at one and at the same time be foun-
tain of generosity and justice. CAP
plause)
government cannot create every
thing Now If government cannot Gre
ate anything it has nothing of its own
to hestoW. If it undertakes to enrich
one individual, the thing it gives to
him it must take from another. CAP
plause.)
"If it do favor 1t must have vic
tim. And that government only is just
and beneflcent which has neither ia
vorites nor victims.
Now, l have said that these favors
are extended by the common belief and
/ have said an. acknowledged that IL
one person attains rates that are exces-
sively favorable, if his goods are trans
ported at q loss, why, other men using
same facility must make good the loss.
What is the remedy? Some gentlemen
have suggested municipal ownership.
(Applause).
Ladies' and gentlemen, ! have no
quarrel with the applause for muni-
cipal ownership. / concede the principle
of it. (Applause). The government has
no right to empower any private agency
to perform function unless it be one
which the government would be bound
itself to perform II that agency were not
to be found. The only excuse for en-
powering a private corporation to dis
charge a public function Is the excuse
that the service will be more effi-
cient.
THE question, then, of municipal
ownership is a mere question of eXpe-
diency.
There are many grave questions to
be considered before. a municipal own
ership could be reduced to practical
operation, even though We would now
set about the task
Now. is there any particular remedy
that this conference can suggest that
can be put in force by any legislature
that happens to be in session? My
friends, it seems to be a very simple
matter. The fact is you would not leave
the task of framing law to denounce
special rates to individuals: that is the
law to-day. The remedy is simply to
define practical penalty, serious one.
and to provide for the proper statute Of
publicity and you need not enforce the
penalty. An officer of a corporation
granting a special favor to any person
who has a right to use that possession
on equal terms with everybody else.
ought to be held guilty of a serious
felony. (Applause).
Publicity Needed.
"Now, with a statute authorizing and
making and making it the right of
every shipper, or every person using a
public franchise to have disclosed to
him at any time every contract and
agreement made with any other per-
son, you will find there will be little
difficulty about avoiding the enforce
ment of the penal statute. for it will
not be transgressed. We want a simple
statute of publicity and l believe that
will check the special favors.
We do not object to the principle of
cooperation. Corporate existence is the
natural evolution of the partnership;
it is scheme by which men, strangers
to each other, can cooperate in produc-
ton, while partnership was a scheme
limited to men who knew each other
and were compelled to work together.
But the management of corporations
has been the blackest page in our his
tory. tApplause)
And the public indignation unfor-
tunately which ought to be expended
upon the corporate management which
is responsible for this blame, has TOO
often been visited upon the stockhold
ers and the corporations themselves
who have been the victims of that in
fanny.
ITO all this, my friends, the remedy
is publicity. A statute which would
modify but slightly, il at all, the ex-
isting laws of every state would make
this species of fraud impossible.
No corporation has a right to Sc
crecy in the discharge of its duties No