The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-21
STARTS OFF WITH A
LIVELY INCIDENT
Missouris Chief Executive Scores
the Republican Administration.
Declares That Trusts and Imperial
ism Go Hand In Hands, An
swered By Governor Shaw of Iowa
and the Meeting Develops Into a
Political Debating Society = Pin
gree of Michigan Makes Speech
Other Addresses.

! Arkansas, tennessee, Michigan, Mis-
souri,, Colorado and Iowa, most of them
accompanied by their attorney generals
and the attorney generals and other
representatives Of Montana, Indiana,
Mississippi and Washington, responded
to the invitation of Governor ]. d. Say
ers of Texas to meet in conference for
| the. purpose Of discussing the trust
| question, and assembled today at the
! Planters hotel, where three sessions
were held. The conference will be con-
cluded tomorrow morning. when the
committee on resolutions will be ready
/ to report.
| Governor Sayers was present with his
attorney general and was chosen per-
manent chairman of the conference.
Most of the day was spent in speech
making, and almost every one of those
present was afforded an opportunity to
express his views on the. question Under
discussion. There were several tits be-
tween speakers of opposite political
| faith that gave spice to. the proceed
! ings.
At the morning session Governor
Stephens of Missouri delivered himself
of a partisan fling at the Republican
national administration, criticising its
| expansion policy and declaring that
trusts and Imperialism go hand in hand.
Governor Shaw of Iowa took up the
at the opening of the afternoon session,
answered him with a speech that
brought smiles to the faces Of most of
those present.
Warm Exchange of Words.
In turn Governor Jones of Arkansas
put Iowa's chief magistrate on 1.-THE spit
and roasted him for using facetious Ian
guage at such a gathering. Attorney
General Taylor of Indiana also took ot-
casion to rap the knuckles of Missourdis
governor.
There seemed to be a great difference
of opinion as to the best method of
remedying the so-called trust evil.
Some of those present thought that the
state laws now in vogue were sufficient
to control the operations of the COM
binations complained of, while others
were of the opinion that uniform laws
should be enacted by the several states
and by congress. Some We're for the
complete anninilation of the trusts,
while others favored their regulation
Governors Savers and Pingree, in the
speeches delivered today, showed them
selves strongly in favor of the first idea,
as was also Governor Jones OF Arkan-
sas. Governors Thomas of Colorado and
Shaw of Iowa favored the enactment
of laws to restrict the combines. sIhere
was almost as much difference OF opln-
ION among the dllOIUCy SCilOA elio NiiO
were heard.
Governors Shaw of Iowa and Thomas
of Colorado and Attorney General Tay-
lor of Indiana left for home tonight.
The committee on resolutions held
session far into the night.
Governor Savers Speech.
After taking the chair Governor Say
ers read a somewhat lengthy address,
setting forth his views on the question
of trusts, which was frequently APP
plauded. Governor Sayers said regard
ing his calling of the conference:
mo motive prompted my action
other than the desire to induce, II pos
sible, concert of action among such
governors and attorneys general OF all
the states as might attend, in an eff
fort to suppress an evil which has be-
come gigantic in proportions, and
which, in the opinion of very large
number of good and patriotic citizens
of the public, threaten the most seri-
Gus and disastrous consequences to the
country.
at is true that in some sections
money is plentiful, trade active, specu- |
lation rife and that certain products |
have largely and rapidly increased irf |
selling value This prosperity, how
ever. is born, in great measure, OF |
war, and is largely attributable to the
enormous expenditures that have been
made and are now being made by the /
general government for special pur-
poses, and in particular localities, and |
so long as war shall continue this un-
usual activity will be maintained. Con-
sidering the situation conservatively, |
impartially and with the assistance of
intelligent experience, it cannot be |
reasonably expected that the prosperity
will long survive the settlement of our
foreign difficulties and the restoration
of peace.
Anxiety Is Aroused.
Next TO the war itself and to the
incidents directly connected with it,
the wonderful revolution that has oc-
CURED in business life is calculated to
arouse the gravest anxiety in all +
minds. For the past quar-
ter of a century we have heard much
of trust formation and notes of alarm
have been sounded again and again to
warn the people of the danger that
threatened them IN that direction. But
during the past two years that which
was previously but a shadow in the
horizon has become a dark and por-
tentious cloud, and on every side and
from every quarter are heard warn
ings of imminent danger that should
no longer pass unheeded"
Governor Sayer declared tnal IN none
of the generally accepted authorities
upon finance, commerce or mechanic
and agricultural industry can there be
found a rational defense of the sys-
tenn that has so suddenly and so
firmly fixed its iron grasp upon the
material interests of the country. The
gravity of the situation, the speaker
could not be er-estimated,.
nor permitted to pass uhchallenged by
those charged with important and re-
sponsible public duties. 1t was not the
time for evasion, nor was it 8 subject
worthy only of discussion Action.
careful, thoughtful. intelligent and
action, he said. was the
hours greatest need.
Stephens Causes Sensation.
Governor Lon V. Stephens followed
6 II, ~