The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-14
ANTITRUST CONFERENCE
The First Days session
in Chicago.
PROMINENT MEN PRESENT.

Session Opens with Less than Half
tine Appointed Delegates Present.
Many More to Arrive Delegates
Divided on Question Of Trade Combi.
nations Permanent organization
Provided for-Some Notable Address
es-speech Of Dudley Wooten.
Chicago, September 13.-The confer
ence or the uses and abuse of trusts
and combinations began here today,
with less than half the delegates APP
pointed by the various states in at
tendance. New York, headed by w.
Bourke Cochran, and Wisconsin were
most n~umerously represented.
The meeting was called to order at
$3.50 O'Clock by Franklin H. Head, the
temporary chairman appointed by the
Civic Federation ,on whose call the
conference was arranged.
The delegates listened to an address
of welcome by Attorney General Aiken,
OF Illinois, representing Governor Tan
ner, who, by Illness, was prevented
from appearing in person.
Mr.. Aiken was followed by ORA Tay-
lor, who welcomed the delegation on
behalf of Mayor Harrison.
With the progress of the speaking it
became evident that many of the dele
CATIONS had come with firm convictions
for O against trade combinations.
The speech of Mr.. Wooten, of Texas,
dpIjVora6 d1IrinQ tho nftorroOn ord
hammering the trusts in a merciless
manner, aroused the widest enthusis IN
in the ranks of the labor Representatives
and the delegations from many western
and southern state, while the fasteners
generally smiled critically and kept
their arms folded.
The attempt to round the somewhat
ShapeleSs mass of delegates into work.
ing form resulted in considerable dis
order.
1t was resolved finally that the Civic
Federation, Through it's chairman, MI.
Head, should conduct the meeting to-
a and that a committee OF pro-
gramme, consisting of one man from
each state delegation and one from
each organization national i'm it's scope,
Should be appointed. Local ~organiza-
tions in attendance were given a voice
in the committee by being allowed to
vote on the committeeman with the
delegation from their states.
The labor organizations lie not Sc
cure recognition until vigorous speeches
had been made by August Cans, repre-
senting knights of Labor, and John w.
Hayes, also a labor delegate. The nom
attendance of man delegates was not
unexpected, and Secretary Easley an
nounced that probably a hundred of
rtardy ones, including Governor Pingree,
of - --N-n1 ~ --A- - ~
morroW's session.
Among those present were: w.
Bourke Cochran, Albert Shaw, of The
Review of Reviews; Governor Atkin-
son, of West Virginia; Ex-Governor
Foster, of Ohio; Professor John B.
Clarke, Of Columbia university; At
torney General T. S Smith, of Texas; F.
B. Thurber, of New York; Professor
Hel4ry C. Adams, of the university of
Michigan; Professor J.. w. jerks, of
Cornell university; Professor John G.
Brooks, of Cambridge, Mass; Professor
Bemfs, lecturer on political economy in
the university of Chicago; Lieutenant
Governor Jones, of Ohio; Professor E.
T. Ely, of the university of Wisconsin;
Attorney General Smythe, of Nebraska.
William j. Bryan was absent, but it
is believed he win ppear later in the
conference. Chairman Head delivered
am address in explanation of the call
for the conference.
Professor jerks followed with a pa
per under the caption Problems Be
fore the Conference"
h afternoons session opened with
a paper by Professor Adams on the
same subject as his predecessor, Mr.
jerks. These addresses We're receiv-
ed attentively, but it remained fo1
for Dudley WOOten, of the x dele
cation, to stir up the enthusiasm of the
campmeeting variety. He was fire.
quently interrupted by cheering. He
spoke as follows:
Accepting in good faith that amend.
ment which the heroic legions of the
south resisted unto death On a thou.
sand battlefields, we believe thai
neither slavery nor involuntary servi'
tude, except as punishment for crime
shall exist within the United States OF
amy place subject to their Jurisdiction.
and we confidently assert that the com
mercial and industrial bondage being
rapidly imposed upon the toll and tai.
ents of 100000 American citizens by
S~yndicated wealth OF a few great cor
porate m~onopolies is more dire ani
dangerous than the slavery which bow
ed the heads n burdened the back!
of 100000 southern black men.
And above and beyond these grea
written guarantees Of equality we lool
to the lessons Of history and appeal t,
lLC ny VI SApS1 O4S W.
are told that commercial combination
promises golden rewards to the presen
tendencies of u economic system, w
remember that no republic has eve
survived the mt,cenerv despotism q
merchants and money changers
John Graham Brooks, of Cambridge
Mass, in Sticking Closely ITO Facts,
as he prefaced his address, was re
ceived with considerable applause.
William Fortune, president Of the In
diana state board of ais
spoke.
The committee On permanent organ
cation met after the afternoon adjourn
ment of the conference.
William Wirth Howe was Selecte
chairman of the meeting and after
hot discussion was elected permanen
chairman of the conference, thong
three vice chairmen, each to presid
during n day, were selected. 1t wa
a happy solution of what, at n tim
promised to be a split Nc n wa
.II.- 80 .1louy n nr-~a ~nnf h YTr1 q