The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-15
TRUSTS AND
CORPORATIONS
DISCUSSED
By Governor Atkinson at the
Civic Federation at Chicago
Wednesday Night.
THE DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Between Them. Corporations a
Necessity But Trust Com.
bina tons are Evil.

FOLLOWING Is the address delivered by
Governor G. W. Atkinson on Trusts
and Corporations" at the National
Conference Of the Civic Federation, in
session at Chicago, Wednesday night.
The conservatism Of the speech is COM
mended to the Intelllgencer's readers:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the
conVention:-Th gathering. as 1 un-
derstand It, is to consider the relations
Of our citizens to one another as clti-
gems, and to consider also the best
methods to be used to protect the
masses from the encroachments Of
combines and trusts; for 1t seems that
this Is q period favorable to the organ
iSation OF such combines all over the
civilized world.
I believe in progression. In this re-
spect am an evolutOnist. believe
that the world ought to grow. and that
men ought to grow with 1t. Some
sorts of combines are, think, economic
necessities which grow out OF our COM
pick civilization as a nation. The
great manufacturing establishments Of
the world, covering all branches of In
dustry, had very small beginnings;
and we, in a large measure. owe the
progress we have made to men of
means who combined or united into
what we call Corporations" to make
this advancement possible. But there
is;a vast difference between a corpora
ton and trust. It seems to me that
every citizen. who possesses any sort
OF common sense, viii favor corpora
lions, because Individual citizens, as a
rule. cannot In ana Of Themselves alone
furnish sufficient capital to develop the
resources OF any Of the states of our
republic.
It requires vast sunns Of money to
handle great undertakings. One man
alone cannot supply the necessary cap
itAi to build up,great Industries, which
have for their object the development
OF a state or nation; but several men
Of means, by combining. can raise the
necessary amount Of capital to accomp-
Ilsh the desired purpose. This neces-
slty brought corporations Into exist
ence. What one man cannot do, for
lack Of means, several men can ac-
eomplIsh by combining the capital
which each Of them can command. In
this way corporations are formed. In
this manner railroads are constructed,
mines are opened. mills and factories
arc built, Industries are established,
men are employed, and the natural re-
sources Of country are developed.
which necessarily employ labor. and
thus bring wealth into country. Hence
say that every citizen Of country
who possesses ordinary common sense
should be favorable to corporations.
Nevertheless, we have in our midst
Thousands and tens OF thousands Of our
people who seem to hate them, and
hight them on every hand, notwIth-
standing the fact that they secure from
such concerns reasonable compensation
for their toll. and by means of which
they obtain the necessary means with
which they support their families and
those dependent upon them.
Corporations Necessary.
with this class of people. my fellow
citizens, have no sort of sympathy. I
assert here to-day that corporation
properly conducted is entitled to as
much sympathy. support and respect as
an individual, because corporation, In
law, Is an individual. wish, therefore,
70 be written down, my countrymen. as
a friend and hacker OF corporations,
because no state can be developed
without them, and there can be no
growth and development, II they are
Inhibited by law. or are not properly
supported by the people. Without
corporations, to-day we would be
without railroads, coal and coke oper-
atiOus, oliver and gold producers. banks
ana other acknowledged necessities for
the public veal. Therefore, Mr.. Chair
man, when 1 hear men in politics and
elsewhere whining the dcmagogic cry;
Down With Corporations" am ready
to Join the crowd of enterprlsIns people
who WIN cry from the hustIngs and the
house-tops: Down with that Class Of
Malcontents and Demagogues."
/ am not an optirnist per Sc. nor am
Ia pessfmfst. IhaVe no sympathy for
any one who puts in his time whining
against capital. We. unfortunately.
have, however, too many of this clnss
OF croakers 10 our midst. What we
need is more capital in legitimate bus
iness undertakings. We must have
men everywhere who VIII invest their
money In building up and opening up
the Industries Of all our states, We
have in West Virginia more coal and
coke and oil and timber and gas than
the United States can consume in hun
dreds OF years. What we now need Is
capital to help US on in our work Of
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