El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-22
STATES RIGHTS.

Inc trust conference 8t Sb. LOUIS,
called by Governor Sayers, was farce.
All the talk that has been made about
the tremendous influence this meeting
would have in settling the trust ques-
ton went for naught, and the result
of the governors efforts was a little
private meeting of seven governors,
six attorney generals, and an insur-
anoe commissioner, coming from ten
different states. Three of the four teen
left in huff the first night. The
gathering was in no sense representa-
tive, and the two days session was
practically without results, 1t must
be said, however, that the resolutions
adopted by these worthy gentlemen
are considerably more sensible than
those adopted by the conference at
Chicago. The latter are presented
herewith:
Resolved, first, that we are unslter-
ably opposed to all trusts and monop-
olies as in derogation of the common
right.
Second, we demand of the several
states and cities that they take such
action as will lead to the public owner
ship of all public utilities, and we
demand of the federal and state gov
ernments such legislation as will eff
fectuaily control the railways and
prevent extortion and discrimina-
ton.
Third. that we demand of congress
and the legislatures of the several
states that they abolish all special
privileges and take whatever action is
required to destroy monopoly.
Fourth. that in our jud gment no can
didate for public Office is entitled to
the suffrage of his fellow citizens who
to all combinations in restraint of
trade. or the further granting of any
special privileges, and openly avow his
purpose to favor such legislation IS
will suppress them
Fifth, that it is the duty of the
people by organized effort to secure
the nomination by the political par
have the integrity, courage and ability
to defend the rights of the people
against impending industrial slavery.
Sixth, that the growth of private in
dustrial corporations under the gen.
eral laws of the several states and the
advantages given to such artificial per-
sons by such laws, threaten the extinc-
tion of all natural persOus, as competi-
tors with them in every line of bust
ness.
We therefore recommend that the
several states take immediate action to
limit the purposes for which such cor
porations may be formed and discour-
age their further formation by the
adoption of such measures as their
wisdom may advise.
It will be seen that these declarations
are rambling and indefinite, that they
throw no light on the question at issue,
and offer no aid toward it's solution.
They disclose the undiscerning shall
lowness of the men who framed them,
and demonstrate the uselessness of try
ing to cope with the problem of the
trusts in any such gathering of harle-
qains and fantastics as came together
in Chicago.
There is one point brought out in
the above resolutions, however, which
is worth considering. That is the re-
cognition of the responsibility of the
individual states for the growth and
power of the trusts, and of the fact that
1t is to the state governments that the
opponents of trusts should look for &C
ton. The states have full power to
create and control corporations upon
such terms as they prescribe. The only
limit upon such state control is the in