The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-06-24
THREE VIEWS OF TRUSTS.
Gov. Rogers Sees No Remedy Save Public
Ownership-Prof.B Bemis and Senator
CockreiI Express Themselves.


Austin, Tex, June 2O.-Gov. Sayers
yesterday received letter from Gov.
Rogers, of Washington, declining 10
attend the antitrust convention at st.
Louis. He presents his reasons in the
following letter:
In reply to your invitation allow me TO say
that 1t will be impossible for me TO attend. 1t
has occurred to me in this connection that many
people are advocating state control Of trusts
with insincerity, thinking in this way to pass
through the next national campaign with
safety to themselves, feeling sure that what
ever state legislation may be enacted which
will really curb the power OF trusts will
eventually be declared unconstitutional by the
United States supreme court With those who
thus and for that purpose advocate state legis-
lation regarding trusts can have no sympathy
and am bound 70 believe, too, that legislative
action which seeks 10 control the formation
and management Of trusts will prove inenectual
In the first place the word trust" Is mislead-
ing when applied to q great many Industrial
combinations now threatening the prosperity OF
the people In many instances so-called trusts
are merely larger corporations. 1t has occurred
10 me that corporations will be declared TO pos
sess o vested and constitutional right to buy
and sell. Clearly II seems 10 me corporations
as well as natural persons, have a right to buy
and hence right 10 sell whatever Is offered
for sale In the market. II sufficient
weight OF capital be employed corpora
ton or natural person has the ability
and the constitutional right TO buy all OF Ger :
tain product offered for sale and this will un-
Questionably operate TO fix the price at which
such product will In future be sold. l am at
hn,. Nha and a
mental right OF either natural or corporate per-
sons to buy and sell can be lnterfered with by
legal enactment under our constitution. For
this reason can see no remedy for the trust
evil save public ownership This new question
Of the trusts is really the very old one of capt.
tai versus labor. or, stated differently, the al
tempt Of the almighty dollar TO entire suprem-
acy in the Affairs OF men There is In all TINS
an irrepresSible conflict which will not down a'
the bidding OF any state Legislature,
Prof. Bemis on the Trusts.
Chicago, June 2O-Prof. Il. w. Bemis,
OF this city, speaking of the trust
problem, says:
The evils OF the trust as at present conducted
are obvious. There is direct Increase OF the
unemployed through the closing OF factories
| but this is not sufficiently different from wha'
occurs In all invention TO warrant the proper
tlonate amount Of attention that is given to 1t
Again. there are the unreasonably high charge'
| to which monopoly is irresistiDly tempted. a
third evil results from the last named
an increasing concentration Of wealth
with Its evil results, not only directly
but In the destruction OF any marke
among the many for the products Of the nation'
| Industries. Again, an equally great evil is TIT
| clubbing of the competitors by temporarily re
| duclng prices below cost IN u given locality
until local competition is ruined. A nth eyi
| is the concentration Of political power. Sinc'
the trust embraces probably one-half OF tn
more than bOOO,O)0 wage-workers (as well
one-hai Of the capital OF the country that ar
employed In manufacturing 10 say nothing Q
the 90 900 aud more employees engaged In rail
way, telegraph and express business and cit
monopolies, II appears that nearly one-half Q
| the non agricultural voters Of the county 10
] day, and possibly oue-hali, are conneete
with trust and monopoly industries, an
subject therefore, to special pEessaE