The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-17
CONFERENCE ON USES AND ABUSES
OF TRUSTS NOW A HAPPEN
ING OF THE PAST
NEARASKiE WARMLY GREETED
HE AND MIR. COCHRAN WE'RE THE
CENTRAL FIGURES OF THE
CLOSING HOURS
THE LATTER ASKED QUESTIONS

Said He Agreed With Col. Bryan, but
Desired to Be Enlightened Upon
Certain Points-COnferenccD Decid-
ed to Adopt No Resolution as to
the Opinion of the Body on the
Question of Trusts.
CHICAGO, Sept. 16.--'The conference on
the uses and abuses of trusts closed It's
session here today in a blaze of oratory'
in which Col w. J. Bryan and w. Bourke
Cochran were the central figures. MI
Cochran followed the noted Nebraskan'
but disclaimed any intention of debating
the conclusions of his immediate prede-
cessor, and declaring his complete con-
currepce in much that Mr.. Bryan mad
said:
The Westerner had delivered the speech
of the day during the forenoon amid IRE
ouent Interruptions of tumultuous ap-
plause Mr.. Foulke, of Indiana, COM
menting on the speech, made assertions
which Mr. Bryan desired further to d3s-
cuss. He was requested to take the
stage, and for the second time faced a
wildly enthusiastic house. AT the con-
clusion Mr.. Cochrane arose and observed:
"Just a few words" The spectators
wanted more and refused to subside until
he had taken the platform. He agreed
with Mr.. Bryan, he said, but he wanted
information.
The crowd which greeted Col. Bryan
when the doors were thrown open
amounted almost to a mob, so eager were
they to enter Central Music hall, where
the conference has been held. The place
was jammed from pit to gallery by ad-
mirers of the Nebraslean. When he had
concluded his speech, so per cent OF the
audience departed. and left few strag-
Cling spectators to listen to the remain
ing speakers, and the committee on reso-
lutions to proceed with its business in
another part of the building.
RESOLUTIONS BARRED.
Ex-Gov. Luce, of Michigan, was chair
man, and he rigidly adhered to the reso-
lutions passed yesterday, in which 1t
was resolved that no resolutions giving
the sentiment of the conference on the
tust problem should be presented or
considered.
Mr.. Keasbey, of New Jersey, a member
OF the committee, declared that he had
spoken with Col Bryan, and that the
latter had given 1t as his opinion that
the nature of the conference made reso-
lutions expressive Of sentiment on the
problem out of place. He proposed to
the original resolutions, he added, some,
thing to the effect that the conference
had been of benefit to the delegates, had
cleared their minds of many doubts, and
enlightened the understanding. They Were
not considered. The decision of the COM
mittee, as told in Chairman Luce's re-
port, was JnanimCu usly adopted, as was
motion put before the house thanking the
civic federation for its entertainment Of
the delegates.
Other speakers during the day were:
T. H. Raymond G. w Northlop Jr., Prof
David Kinley, T. 3. Walker, w. w.
Howe, ex-senator Blair, of Newhamp-
shire; Attorney General 7 S. Smith, of
Texas; ]. B. Dilla, A. Copeland, w. D.
FClllke while many others took part in
the discussion which closed the confer
ence.
1t was decided that those who had pre-
pared speeches, but had not been al.
programme to read them, should deliver
them into the hands of Secretary Easley,
to be published in book form together with
those which had been delivered from the
stage.
ANTITRUST ORGANIZATION.
Action looking toward the organization
of antitrust organizations in all sections
of the country was taken at the meeting
of delegates to the trust conference op-
posed to trusts at meeting held at the
Sherman house tonight, after the ad-
journmert of the trust conference. The
meeting, which was largely attended, ef-
fected temporary organization, and an
executive committee was appointed to
build UP the organization in all parts
of the country, and to arrange for an
early antitrust convention. The organ
izat tion, which, it was announced, was to
be national in it's scope, and non-partisan
in It's character, is to be amalgamated
finally with the national antitrust league.
The executive committee is: L. M. Lock-
wood, Pennsylvania. chairman; William
Prentis Illinois; A. M. Todd, Michigan;
P. e. Dove and Dudley G. Wooten, Tex
as; A. P. McQuirk, Iowa; w. B. Fleming,
Kentucky.
This committee was authorized to in
crease it's number by the addition of
governors OF states and prominent anti
trust leaders of all political convictions.
The principal address of the day was
delivered by w. ]. Bryan.
MONOPOLY INDEFENsIBLE.
Mr.. Bryan said in part:
q
more trusts have been organized, when
we come to consider the capitalization
and the magnitude of the interests in
VolVed, than were organized in all the
previous history of the country, and the
people now come face to face with this
question:: Is the trust blessing or a
curse? II curse, what remedy can be
applied to the curse? 1 want to start
with the declaration that monopoly in
private hands is indefensible from any
Standpoint, and intolerable. One trust
nagnate may be more benevolent than
another, but there is no good monopoly
In private hands, and I do not believe it
or group of men to monopolize any ar,
ticle Of merchandise or any branch of
business.
THE defense of the monopoly is al
ways placed on the ground that If you
will ALLOW people to control the market
khe people who purchase of them. The
entire defense of the trusts rests upon
money argument. If the trust will
sell to man an article for dollar less
than the article will cost under other
conditions, then, in the opinion of some,
In the first place, deny that, under a
mOnODOlV the price will be reduced In