The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-14

is laxative, two a cathartic dose.
selves reasonable dividend on the actua.
amount of capital invested and then agree
to distribute / reasonable share OF the
profits among the skilled artisans whom
they employ as per cent or profit upon
their wages, the trusts would then be
placed upon an honest popular and rea-
sonabe foundation, and no one could com
plain or justly oppose it.
II am aware of the fact Mr.. President
that the friends of trusts set up three
distinct claims or arguments in their de-
Tense. viz: First, that they pay the high
est possible rates of wages to their en-
ployes; second, that they furnish the best
possible article to the consumer; and,
third, that they furnish it lower or cheap
er than it can otherwise be produced
While 1 admit that there is something
in these claims yet they are true only in
a limited sense. The first of these claims
is, l think, absolutely true. Trusts pay
big wages, because they employ none but
high grade men and women, and they
therefore can afford TO do it. The second
proposition is perhaps true in most cases.
but not in all. The third claim is only
true in a few instances.
II may be wrong, Mr. President, in my
conclusions, but it seems 90 me as an I'M
prejudiced unbiased American citizen
to advance the interests Of the great ma
jority of all our people, that if the trust
idea is to be carried out, there will be no
use for middle men in this country; and
the small dealers and the small manu-
facturers and small operators in any and
all lines of business, who are now earning
honest livings and supports for them
selves and those dependent upon them,
will be things of the past. Like Othello,
their occupations will be gone And
what of the other and the greatest of all
the considera tons before us as non-part-
san American citizens, viz: VIII the
trusts, can the trusts, dare the trusts,
here agree to furnish to the great div
ing, helpless, and in many instances, hap
less mass of our people, better and q
cheaper article which all of them must
of necessity use, than they are now pay
ing for the same? If the trust can do
this, l will call off my opposition. feeble
as it is. and will join them and bid Cod
speed in their work. Otherwise, 1 am
against them, and desire that they will
here and now class me as their enemy"
Organization and Programme.
After Gov. Atkinson had concluded his
speech Congressman John w. Gaines of
Tennessee presented the report of the
committee on organization and programme
as follows:
Permanent officers: Chairman, William
Writ Howe of louisiana first vice pres
ident Dudley G. Wooten of Texas; sec
ond vice president, II. V. johnson of Col
orado; third vice president, S. P. Corliss
of New York; secretary, Ralph NJ. Eas-
ley.
Special rules of order:
First, That the conference shall hold
three daily sessions as follows From 10 a.
m. to l p. M; from TO 8 p. M, and from
p. m. until such time as adjournment
may be had.
Second, That all papers or addresses
shall be limited TO twenty minutes.
The report was adopted unanimously.
Congressman Gaines presented the fol-
lowing amendments TO The rules govern
irg the body:
THAT Jefferson's manual on rules of or
der and general parliamentary law shall
be the rules of the body and that no
proxy be allowed" The amendments were
adopted
Chairman Head then introduced the per-
nanent officers of the conference
In accepting the gavel from President
Head. Mr.. Howe confined his remarks to
thanking the conference for the honor con-
ferred upon him and promising to preside
with Attorney General E. c. Grove of
Missouri who spoke on the subject of In
surance Combination
When Mr.. Grove finishing speaking amid
applause only second to that which had
greeted Mr.. Wooten earlier in the day,
chairman Howe introduced P. +. Dove,
president of the Commercial Travellers
National League.
Thurber Favors Trusts.
The next speaker was F. B. Thurber
of New York who said in part:
81 have been a careful student of trusts
from the beginning. l may say that when
began 1t was with a strong prejudice
against them l believed that they would
tend TO oppress the public with high prices
and also that their political influence was
10 be feared; but a careful study of their
effect ranging over period of years, has
materially modified my opinion. The first
prominent Illustration of the so-calleI
trust principle was the consolidation of
lines of railroad into vast systems with
the result of better service. and, as
whole. lower rates. The people of the
limited States now get their transporta-
tion at about one-half those of other prin-
cipal countries.
'oThe next was the Standard Oil Com
pany under whose operations The price of
oil has declined more than other commod-
lilies NOT under trust control. Another is
The American Sugar Refining Company I'M
dor whose operation prices have averaged
70 per cent lower in ten years succeeding
its formation than they did during the
preceding ten years l used 10 think that
combinations OF capital would abrosate
comDetition but experience has shown
that instead of abrogating competition,
n has elevated that force to higher plane.
n a combination of capital in any line
temporarily exacts liberal profit, imme-
diatelv capitaI flows into that channel,