Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-09-21

Wants a Form ulated Bill.
Il prefer 4 formulated BILL such as
l NAV safely submit TO the general
assembly of my state. rather than res
olutions. | think l am politician
enough to draft a set of resolutions so
drastic that. if needed, all trusts and
combinations would Immediately take
their departure from the common
wealth of which l have the honor 10
be chief executive. But | am not so
confident that / am statesman enough
to draft bill which will compel their
everlasting exit providing they are
determined to stay. If the committee
when appointed. shall draft a bill
which seems TO me comprehensive and
effective. | will very gladly recon-
mend it: for desire here and now to
say that have no sympathy with any
combination of capital which results
in monopoly.
Some of the Men Who Spoke.
Among the speakers were Governor
Sayres. who wanted trusts annihilated.
even if the constitution had 10 be
amended: Governor Pingree. whose
views are well known: Governor
Stephens. of Missouri. who told how
his state had already annihilated them;
Attorney General Taylor. of Indiana.
who believed that the general govern
ment and states could control the
trusts; Attorney General Oren. OF Mich
igan. who told Of the Michigan laws
relating TO combinations. and others.
DESIRES THE GREATEST ACCURACY.
Bill Must BE Aimed After the style of the
Kentucky Hunter.
II desire that the governor of Mis-
souri, shall serve upon this commit
tee. for the reason that he reports the
statute of his state adequate to meet
the demands OF the hour; and l hope,
if he shall consider il essential to this
end. that he will incorporate the law re-
Gently approved by him. which if /
may trust the verbal testimony of
citizens of his state. permitted the
competing lines of street railways in
this city to combine. And desire that
the governor of Tennessee may serve
on this committee. for. in private CON
Yersation he advised me. with evi-
dent pride. thought that very eX-
tcnsive 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
desire him TO incorporate in the bill.
il he shall deem il advisable. such
provisions as will prohibit capitalists
of Tennessee from monopoliZing the
phosphate business.
"It will be necessary to direct the
proposed bill with great accuracy: and
like the Kentucky hunter so aim il
as to hit if il be deer and miss if it
be II calf. The remedy suggested by
implication i'll the two speeches Of the
forenoon sPsSiou-that of the repeal
of all tariff provisions and the free
coinage of silvcr-would. in my opin-
ion. effectually break the back of every
trust in the United States. 1t would
accomplish much. in the same way that
a fire in wheat field temporarily de-
stroys Canada thistles; but / have
learned from observation that these
pests will spring up again as soon as
conditions are favorable to the growth
of another crop of wheat.
Il had hoped that this conference
would c-olve some method of effec-
lively dealing with the evil without
resorting Ia prairie fire so soon upon
the heels of the last. If bill shall
be formulated | shall give il most
careful consideration. and if I con-
slider il feasible recommend its adop-
ton in my state"