The Mena star., 1899-06-29
A HARMLESS PROPOSITION.

Iii response to the lnVltalOn sent out by Gov. Saycrs of Texas. for an anti trust convention to be held in St. Louis September 20, Gov. Rogers of Washington sends a caustic reply in which he states 1t as hls opinion, as reported, that all this agitation about trusts IS being made by the politicians of the Southern states with q view of furthering their political influence in the national campaign next year, and for no other reason. That they are confident that the laws they intend passing will be knocked out by the federal courts and they are simply playing to the galleries in this movement and nothing else. He suggests to Gov. Savers that if he IS really in earnest about his project that he ought to advocate state ownership of everything. as that would be the only way to accomplish the end he claims to be aiming at; that the constitution gives a corporation or person tho right to buy and sell everything they can and if the corporations have the money they certainly have the right to buy everything in tue market and Tn their possession of it, they certainly have right to charge what they please for it.
 It is possible that history, in a certain sense, is repeating itself. We can remember when 'all this agitation about African slavery was being made by the politicians of the Northern states etc.," and yet slavery was abolished.
 Now if it shall occur that To- cations are reversed and the anti trust agitation is left to the South, it will undoubtedly prove equal to the task and many who helped on in the agitation against African slavery, will now be found helping the agitation against trusts con trolled by and for private corpor- ations.
 The suggestion of Gov. Rogers regarding "state ownership is, however first class, since it is the only solution of the problem of unrest and discontent regarding present conditions now so prevalent.
 That the constitution gives q corporation or person the right to buy and sell everything is correct, but that when ''in their possession of it they have right to charge what they please for it' is nearly as heartless and monstrous as that the constitution once gave to buy black men, women and children, and when in pos session of them to sell them in any market at the highest price obtainable, especially under exist ing conditions.
 This right as guaranteed by the constitution and opinion proclaim ed by Gov. Rogers carried to its ioglcal sequence gives to trusts with their unlimited control of money the power to buy up any article of necessity, even the food supply of the country, and extort from consumers unreasonable and unheard of prices, though they create famine and wholesale de struction of life by starvation.
 Evidently Gov. Rogers in stating his proposition so plainly fails to recognize the inherent right of the people to agitate, organize and make laws, and even change the constitution, in self defense and for the public good. He should remember that con ditions have materially changed since our constitution was adopted At that time the millionaire was unknown, and no such concen- tration of wealth and the trusts and combinations growing out of same, as now exist, were even dreamed of.