The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-10-11
THE AMERICAN ANTITRUST LEAGUE.
An Address to the American People.


An Address to the American People.
The object of the AMERICAN ANTI
TRUST LEAGUE is to drive from public
places tho subservient tools of the trusts
monOpolies, combines, and corporations,
and to establish the equal rights of Amer
lean citizens in the commerce and indus
tries of the country.
Today in every Legislative hall, both
state and national, omnipresent stands
tho lobbyist and corruptionist of this
great railroad, monopoly, trust combina.
ton, which has formed an alliance offen-
sive and defensive, by which they expect
to control legislation and to plumber the
producers and consumers of America.
And, what is still worse, there also stand
the representatives elected by the people,
who have become debauched and who are
the secret servants and instruments of this
great Corporate power and are ever ready
to do their bidding, while proclaiming
their devotion to the rights of the people.
We find them everywhere-in Legislature,
Congress, in the Senate, and on the Bench.
The political life of this kind of represen
tatives is made easy. Their reDomina
tions are arranged for them by tho political
o ses, who are but servants Of this power.
Campaign funds are furnished. That
part of tho public press that can DO mana
ged is used to eulogize and lionize these
subservient tools. The elections are
managed for them.
There also stands the representative
elected by the people, who is true to the
principals of manhood and is governed by
tho promptings of public welfare. lie
Btlnds bulwark against the Legislative
schemes by which this great railroad,
monopoly, trust combination expect to
this dominating and controlling power,
and their emissaries arc sent into his
district to undermine and destroy him
pollica ly. Some popular man is enoourag-
cd to become candidate for nomination
to his place, and the power and influence
and money of this corporate conspiracy
are put behind this candidate, and the
true servant of the people finds himself de-
feated for denomination, aud he is retired
from public life-retired becaus he was q
true representative of the people and dared
to defy this corporate monster. This pro-
oess has been worked so silently and
secretly that the people have not recogni-
zsd the haudiwork by which majority
in their legislative bodies has been con
trolled.
In many of our great cities the street
railway traction companies have created
political despotism. That man who is
ambitious politically, before he can be
nominated to any position of public trust
must first kneel at the throne. Yes, and
In many, many cases before u laboror
can hope to earn bread for his family he
has first to show that he wears the brand
aud collar oflhoir ward boss. They have
created despotism so damnablc that man
must become sorf to his corrupt corpor.
cite power before he can obtain an opportu-
nifty to work. have talked with these men
who mourn tho loss of their liberty as
American freeman. This great railroad,
monopoly, trust, traction combination is
''corrupting our public affairs and de-
hln HI "a a IA,
the foundations of tho Republic by the
clnupt uso of money in our political life.
The purpose of the AMERICAN ANTI
TRusT LEAGUE is to arouse tho only
power on earth that is stronger than the
power of money in our public life. That
power is the patriotic impulses of the
people. The little finger of that power,
when awakened, is stronger ten thous.
and times than all the influence of all the
billions of tho trusts and combines of the
land. Tho memories of the many sacr.
fees of the fathers call us to action. If
these trust combinations are allowed TO go
on they can plumber each Of us into pow +.
erty. No man knows how soon the fear Of
hunger for his wife and family will make
him coward, 1t behooves us to strike
while the fire Of liberty yet burns
THE AMERICAN ANTITRUST LEAGUE
isnon- partisan. We call all American free.
men to council. Ifa Democrat, or Popu
list,or Republican, public man has shown
himself to be n subscrvient tool of this
great corporate power, then all the united
power of all the men of the American
Antitrust League" will be used to crush
him and drive him from public life. We
will adopt the tactics of our enemy until
we have created Legislative, Judicial
and Executive power in sympathy with
the public welfare. And we cali upon
every American citizen who loves his
country and the great principles of popu-
lar government better than he does his
party, to join us in the work of re estab
fishing the equal rights of American citi
zenship.
NJ. l.. LOCKWOOD,
President.