The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-09-27
THE TRUST CONFERENCE.
Governors Meet 10 Determine Upon Legislation
Against Monopoly.

Promptly at IL o'clock last Thursday
Attorney General Grow OF Missouri
called to order in the ladies' ordinary
of the Planters hotel at st. Louis the
trust conference originated by Gov.
Sayers of Texas.
Gov. Sayers was greeted with hearty
applause when he assumed the chair.
He said in part:
mo motive prompted my action in
suggesting this conference other than
the desire TO induce, If possible, con-
cert of action among such governors
and attorneys general Of all the states
that might aid in an effort TO suppress
an evil which has become gigantic in
proportions, and which, i'm the opinion
of a very large number of good and
patriotic citizens Of the republic, threat
ems the most serious and disastrous
consequences to the country"
He declared present phenomenal pros
perity was very largely born of war,
and could not survive II. He declared
the trusts and combines based on gov
ernment grants of privilege, excemp-
tion and power, and IL was therefore
the duty of the government, both gem
eral and local, to protect the pubic
from abuse or misuse of opportunities.
AT the morning session Gov stephens
of Missouri had made n partisan fling
at the Republican national administra-
and declaring that trusts and imperial
ism go hand in hand. Gov. Shaw of
Iowa took up the gauntlet thrown down
by stephens and at the opening of the
afternoo session answered him. He
said in part:
II regret that the call for this confer
ence did not include all that is In the
mind Of him who issued it, II was evil
IDENTIFY the purpose to make IL not only
an antitrust conference, but an anti
expansion and free trade and free sill
yer convention.
ut will be necessary to direct the pro-
posed bill with great accuracy, and,
like the Kentucky hunter, so aim II as
to hit If II be a deer and miss If II be
calf.
"The remedy suggested by implica-
ton In the two speeches of the fore
noon session-that of the repeal of all
tariff provisions and though the free
coinage of silver-would in my opin-
ion, effectually break the back OF every
trust I'm the United States. 1t would
accomplish this much in the same way
that n fire in n wheat field temporarily
destroys 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.
''I had hoped that this conference
would evolve some method Of effective
ly dealing with the evil without resort
ing to prairies fire so soon upon the
heels OF the last.
'If n bill shall be formulated shall
give II most careful consideration and.
If consider II feasible, recommend its
adoption in my state"
Attorney General Grove of Missouri,
Attorney General Taylor Of Indiana, At
torney General oven OF Michigan, At
torney General Smith of Texas and
others made antitrust speeches.
At the evening session Gov. HaZen S.
Pingree of Michigan said: "The Chi
cago trust conference was of great val
ne because it separated the chaff from
the wheat. It did much to clarity the
subject. 1t was of educational value.
But its principal benefit, to my mind,
was the revelations 1t gave us of the
position which the advocates of the
trust or rather the trusts themselves,
would take"
He declared state laws against trusts
were futile, as attacked in one state
the trust fled to another, and the states
felt compelled to be good to them for
the employment they gave. He there
fore advocated national law and declar-
ed II should be drastic.