The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-21
SHAW,S SARCASM.
Governor of Iowa Has Fun With His
COLLEAGUES From Further South.

St. Louis, Sept. 21.-In his speech be-
fore the St Louis trust conference,
Governor Shaw of Iowa said in part:
I regret that the call for this confer
ence did not include all that is in the
mind of him who issued it. 1t was evil
IDENTIFY the purpose to make it not only
an antitrust conference, but an anti
expansion, and a free trade and free
silver convention 1 say evidently the
purpose from the tone of the remarks
of the chairman and from the speech
of the governor of Missouri. Had this
been, it is quite possible larger at
tendance would have been secured: for
certainly it would have then embraced
subjects upon which there are greater
differences of opinion than upon the
question of trusts alone.
I was interested and diverted by the
address from the governor of Missouri.
Interested, for he stated that his state
had triumphantly exterminated the Oc-
topus I was diverted as he told of the
downfall of Rome caused from evils
such as now confront US. I was made
to regret that in the expansion policy
of old Rome she did not acquire some
territory as productive of statesmen as
the Louisiana purchase, and which
might then have produced a governor
of sufficient foresight, a legislature OF
sufficient wisdom, an attorney general
of sufficient courage and supreme
court of sufficient eruditiOn and fair
ness to have successfully COPIED with
muItimiIIionaires and bankers which it
was claimed infested the empire to the
great damage of the common people.
I prefer a formulated bill such as I
may safely submit to the general as
sembly of my state, rather than reso-
lutiOns. think I am politician enough
to draft a set of resolutions so drastic
that if needed all trusts and cOmbina-
lions would Immediately take their de-
parture from the commonwealth of
which I have the honor to be chief ex-
ia rfarq
am statesman enough to draft bill
which will compel their everlasting ex-
lie providing they are determined to
stay. If the committee shall draft a
bill which seems to me comprehensive
and effective. 1 will very gladly rec
ommend it: for I desire here and now
to say that I have no sympathy with
any combination of capital which rests
IN monopoly.
1 desire that the governor of Mis-
souri, shall serve upon this committee.
for the reason that he reports the stat
ute of his state adequate to meet the
demands of the hour; and I hope. If he
shall consider it essential to this end,
that he incorporate the law recently
approved by him, which, if 1 may trust
the verbal testimony of citizens of his
state. permitted the competing lines of
street railway in this city to combine.
And desire that the governor of Ten
nessee may serve upon this committee,
for in private cOnV alton, ne ADVISED
me. with evident pride. I thought, that
very extensive deposits of phosphate
had been discovered in his state from
which great fortunes are now being
made. and he reported that many of
the producers of phosphate had been
thereby driven from the market. de-
sire him to incorporate in the bill if
he shall deem it advisable, such provis
ions as Will prohibit capitalists of
Tennessee from nonOpOlizing the phos-
phate business.
It will be necessary to direct the pro-
posed bill with great accuracy; and like
the Kentucky hunter so aim il as to
hit it if it be a deer and miss it if it
be a calf.
This remedy suggested by implication
in the two speeches of the forenoon
session-that of the repeal of all tariff
provisions and through the free coin
age of silver-wouId, in my opinion, ef-
fectually break the back of every trust
in the United States. It would accom-
plish this, much in the same way that
a fire in wheat field temporarily de-
stroys Canada thistles; but 1 have
learned from observation that these
pests will spring up again so soon as
conditions are favorable to the growth
Of another crop of wheat. had hoped
that this conference would evolve some
method of effectively dealings with the
evil without resorting to prairie fire so
SOON upon the heels of the last
II a bill shall be formulated, I shall
give it most careful consideration and
If consider it feasible, recommend its
adoption in my state