Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-15


TO THROTTLE PRIVATE AND
INDIVIDUAL ENTERPRISE DE-
NOUNCED, AND THE ULTIMATE
RESULT OF THEIR ExISrErCE
PREDICTED.
New York. April 14-The announce
ment that Governor Hazen s. Pingree,
of Michigan, was to speak tonight un-
der the auspices OF the Peoples Insti-
tute in Cooper Union Hall. attracted
an immense gathering. There was not.
a vacant seat in the hall when the
speaker, whose subject was Trusts. "
appeared on the platform His APP
pearance was the signal for much
cheering. the waving Of hats and hand<
kerchiefs. A similar demonstration d
welcome on the part OF the audience
followed his introduction by Charles
Sprague Smith.
When quiet had been restored. Gov
ernor Pingress spoke from manuscript
in part as follows:
There is no more important prob
lem before the people to-day than the
Trust and what to do with it Is 1t Z
menace to our commercial institutions?
Does it imperil our national life and
character? Should it be made a legal
outlaw, or merely be regulated by lawy
Like all questions it has two sides
and both must be fairly stated. It cam
not be solved by denunciations on the
part of those who believe in drastic
measures.
"0n the other hand the manipulators
or managers of Trusts cannot quiet
the public clamor by looking on with
what are you going 70 do about it.
attitude.
THE Trust creates conditions moro
serious than any our people have ever
faced, slavery and secession alone ex-
cepted. 1t Is fraught with more conse-
quences to tho nation than the question
of expansion and foreign policy arising
out OF the recent Spanish-American
war.
1.-THE Trust OF the present dag Is
technically not a combination Of many
corporations. 1t Is ono huge corpora
ton which has AFFORDED the property,
of many corporations and OF individ-
uals too. The corporations whose prop
erty it has swallowed have dissolved
gone out OF existence.
mo individual or small corporation
can compete with 1t. 1t Is a monopoly
in fact and should DO dealt with "a
such. 1t may not be monopoly in
the eye of the law. But. at any rate,
it should be illegal as being against
public policy.
Harsh as it may sound, the Trust
will divide the people OF this country
into sharply defined classes. masters
and slaves.
"The tendency of the Trust Ia to
place all business in the hands Of =
few men whose only ability Hes In
their power to make money. All en-
ployes will be subject TO these men and
they will be treated as tools, to do the
bidding of their mercenary masters.
at needs no prophet or philosopher
to predict what effect this will have,
indeed, is already having, upon the in
dependence OF the people. Men cannot
be machines and free men at the same
time.
"The figures which receive from
secretaries of States show beyond ques-
ton that practically all OF the trusts
are organized under the laws Of New
Jersey and New York-a very small
proportion in New York
do not think that am prejudiced
If | suggest that the trust evil might
be cured IL all the other States should
extend an invitation to New Jersey to
secede from the Union. This, however,
might be embarrassing just now. Our
vice president and attorney general are
both citizens OF New Jersey.
IL am confident that the people Of
the United States who are suffering
from the operations OF the trust, would
raise no objection II New Jersey should
comply with such an Invitation.
IL believe that government and mu-
nicipal ownership and operation Of rail-
road, street railway. gas. electric light.
water and other public utilities VIII
help solve the problems which arise
from the encroachments Of corporate
capital.
Il would not have public ownership
extend to anything else. because wA
cannot afford to discourage Or stife pri-
vate enterprise"