Hutchinson gazette., 1899-09-21
INIMICAl TO TRUSTS
Conference in st. Louis to Docide
on a Policy Of Opposition.
REGULATION OR ASNIIILATIoy,
Governor sRyers, Of Texas, the Orlgln-
aIOr Os tho Conicrence, SnyD NO
Has No Regular Proc
gram Prepared

St. Louis, September l0.--Governor
Joseph ID. Sayers, Of Texas, the orig
inator Of the antitrust cGn.e.enee be-
tween governors and attorneys gem
eral which Is 10 open here Neuaes-
day, arrived In the city Monday. At
torney General Smith, OF Texas, and
Governor Jones and Attorney Gene al
Davis,of Arkansas, have also arrived
Governor Stephens and Attorney Gem
eral Grow, OF Missouri, came IN Mon
day night. Governor Suyers has pre-
pared no programme for the confer
ence, and says the meeting will be en-
tirely informal, the delegates Them
selves deciding the manner OF pr ceed q
ing after they come together. lie as
serts, however, that the conference
will be distinctly mlmical to trusts.
The only question in his mnd In
whether trusts should be regulated'o or
abolished. This, he THINKS, Is the
question that will be dwelt upon
chiefly In the discussions. Ways and
means of regulation or humiliation
forms another subject Of discussion.
In mn interview Governor Sayers
said!
~ have no plan Of programme for
this conference, / merely wrote let
ters to all the governors, asking them
to join me at st. Louis for a confer
ence, whose object would be to de-
wise ways and means of either regu-
lating the trusts or annihilating them.
have pmposely avoided any attempt
TO make arrangements for the confer
ence, because / wanted no one to
think IL was cut and dried affair.
l want every governor and attorney
general who comes to feel free to
make suggestions as to the manner OF
procedure.
AS to the. purpose Of the conference,
can oGly give the idea that actuated
me In suggesting II. | am impressed
with the fact that the trust, as 1t now
exists, is an eyil--a terrible evil--with
which we must grapple, sooner or
later. Our dual form of government
has given rise to u diversity of opin-
ion as to whether the national or state
governments should take up the task
of fighting trusts.
"Another question upon which there
is a division is whether trusts should
be merely regulated or whether the
Aght should be more far-reaching,
and have for its object their destruc-
tion. Personally, | am in favor OF
destroying them, root and branch. l
have no patience with the trust in any
form, and don't believe regulation will
do any good. They must be destroyed.
"But the question arises, how is this
to be done? What part must the
states take in the fight? One thing
is certain, one state can do nothing
If 1t attempts to fight alone, and the
influence OF several states is weakened
II they do not conduct their fights ac-
cording to the same general plan. In
other words, If the states are 10 ac-
complish anything they must act in
harmony.
Il thought If the governors Of q
considerable number of states could
be brought together, with tneir attor-
neys general, they could, by informal
conference and exchange of views, ar
rive at some agreement as to the ways
and means of opposing the trusts and
destroying them.
81 anticipate there will be no set
speeches. | expect to do some talk
ing in an informal way. 1t would be
impossible for good not to come out
OF snch an exchange of idens."
Attorney General Smith, of Texas,
furnishes the following as list of
attorneys general who have promised
Internationally to attend the confer
ence: David M. Campbell, of Colo
RADIO; Edward c. Crow, of Missouri;
jefferson Davis, of Arkansas; w. L.
Taylor, of Indiana; c. b. Nolan, of
Montana; S. w. Bennett Especial coun-
sell and Attorney General Monett, the
noted aptj-trust fighter of Ohio Many
others will come if they can.
The attorneys general of Massachu-
Setts and New Mexico declined the in
Yitation.
Governor Jones, of Arkansas, ex-
pressed the view tonight that it would
be good idea for the governors and
attorneys general who attend the con-
ference to agree upon some plan OF
action that would prohibit trusts, and
then for each governor to ;go home
and convene the Legislature Of his
state at once and submit the plan to
fhat body for ratification. He said he
would be willing to follow this plan,
aater first consulting with the mem
hers of the Legislature.
Trusts should not be temnGHized
wlth, but prohibited" was the way
Governor Jones put it.