The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-04

at THIS late day congress should 70 called
upon TO remedy an alleged evil that might
be corrected By concentrated action on
part OF tbs railroad management them
se.Nes As your chairman ! carried out
your Instruction trying 70 convince mem
beers OF congress and senate 1t would be to
the interest of the public, as well as com
mereial travellers, TO defeat such meas
ur7. One year after you asked me 10
~ back TO Washington and work for the
passage OF the same bill you asked me
10 defeat twelve months before. lma sine
the uphill work your chairman experienced
in iuany instances, asked. why this srn-
morsaUlt? ?"
The bill creating a new executive ie-
partment is still pending Several bills
bearing on this question have been in,ro-
duced ard many commercial 1rganlHa-
tlnns are claiming credit az Introducing
same, but tho idea originated With the
Trayc'crs Protective Association. and We
as an organization introduced tile FIRST bill
creating this department We hope AMI
believe this bin will be pas sel by the
tifty-sixth congress.
The bill for the erection OF a legation
building in the Republic Of Mexico was
referred by the committee on foreign re-
sltunS to he HecretarV of state who con
siGerin: the unsettled coalition OF at
fairs, decided 1t imprl ticabie at this time.
The FiftysiXth congress VIII deal with
THIS rleGsure.
There turks a danger to us as CONNER
ci1l trove!ers and as an organization that
.hrea ems not only our usefulness, br. H.
menInce to our existence. This larIrr
thas jeupardizes the commercial travellers
occrr1tion and livelihood is the trusts.
As one Of Missouris favorite sons has
expressed 1t; Above the broad horizon ia
the otherwise bright future for the drum
rf1fr tc tig 10
ems to cripple commerce, enervate energy
and parnlyze Industries from one end Of
this land to the other, falling heavily upon
you, decimatins your ranks and trans
forming you from men OF an honorable pro
fessou to mere machines
This cloud is pregnant with the great
trusts and monopoies of the land and no
one under Is baleful shadow wit feel its
stilrr effects so much as the CONNER
cial traveller On the other hand no class
can avert 1t so speedily and eifectually
az the travelling man If you will grapple
vita the question which effects you so
much with that energy which is charac
teristic OF your calling, | feel assured that
the great sun OF the American people, I
care not under what name nor what par
ty. viii dssipate this insidious shade so
ominous of evil That free competition
Is crumbling to the dust and that mighty
combinations of capital are establishing
Industrial despotism in its stead is one
OF the terrible fac'e with watch the pres
ent and the future has to deal
Think Of these combines aggregatinG
over sis billion dollars The manner in
which trusts are upsa;ting the established
laws of trade and working injury to the
country is seen in their treatment OF com
mmoial travellers 1t is fact that trust
can cheaper the cost of distribution by
the discharge Of its travelling men. and
hundreds today. like Othello. finds his
occupation gone, and the hotel keeper
moLrns for sight of his genial face and
ready cash We. as an organization, should
pass resolutions calling upon commercial
men all over his country TO put In power
a party representing their interests and
not the interest Of this six billion dollar
combination Of wealth.
THE several States can do much, but
no attack upon the trusts can he com
pletey successful unlsss the antitrust
sentiment reaches the National capital
and preyades tho legislative hall, the ex-
ecutive mansion and b. courts of justice"
AS chairman of your legislative committee,
| recommend that This convention take ac-
ton on this matter which is fraught with
so much danger to the commercial travel
ers of America. Respectfully submitted
John S Harwood
Chairman Notonal Legislative Committee.
r p. A. Of A.