The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-15
GREAT DEBATE OVER THE TRUSTS.
Both Sides Well Represented and the Straw Is Being
Well ThreShed Over.

Of truss from the standpoint " an asss--
chisr- Maj. Tucker. al the close q It's
speech. said:
Free access 10 the world Of matter.
aboiishinx lana monopoly. free arcess a
sae world Of mind. aboEissinx the Edea
Of roaoposy; free accese 10 free idea an1
unfaxed market. aooliSniag tariff monopoly
and money nnonopoly-securs tsess and ala
the rest shall BE- added gnfe you Fer Ho-
erty 10 the remedy Of every social evta.
and 10 anarchy mGss he woria ioak at lzSt
FOR any enduring guarantee of social or
der"
PSnsr>e The Ssn~ s6 tie EvensnG
Vice President cosiiss oe New York..
presided at the evening sessaor- He intro
dsced Gov. Pfngree. of Michigan
Gov. Pfngreeis subject was TIE E6set
Of Trusts on Our Nasicaai Life and Ctti-
zenship.~
He began by mildly crftscisinx the Civic
Federation OF Chicago declaring snaT IN
all Of the sixty-nins Questions distributed
by the federation broadczst over TIE coGn-
try a. a means OF gathering material for
the use OF the conference. only one ggsss-
ton related in any way 10 the effect os
trusts upon society. He depioress the fact
that IN ali ths discussion business consss-
erations-thc almighty dol!ar-seeussd 10
Re uppsrmoss.
While II II a popular faliacy 20 fsny the
existence Of social CLASSES In this country.
he said. IL 10 nevertheless in4isspuzabls that
weil-defined classes divide our society. The
strength OF the republic he sas1 r-sss IN
the grsa, middle class. the manufacturers
u
and business men generally. and IL would
be little short Of calamity 10 encourage any
Industrial aeveiopmenf THAI would affect
unfavorabiy this important class. Close
to them. and another strong element. are
the skilled mechanics and art.sanA
Trusss snA the CBosse~
II Was the effect of the trusts uDon ths
classes, Gov Ptngree maintained. that
should be first considered As he viewed
tho situation. the teu3ency of the trusts
was to drive these men into the service Of
the great combinations. where th<r idsn-
tity would be Iose and where they would b.
come mere coxs and little wh<ess IN y
great, complicated machine. Ambition anf
perhaps inventive genius would be i~ad-
ened and killed. Independence would BE lost
and q sort Of Industrial slavery would fol-
low. Commercial fessdaisEn. Ne sad. -
the logical outcome of the trust. tho trust
manager becoming the fea,cAl baron.
Commercial advantages and iisadvaa-
tages might be argued. he asd. but 10
would not be honest 70 the psopie. either
tn this conference % n isg1siak!ys anmmr
hlisA n the slIscs q ths sr~se upsa osr ~
tionaI nfs and csttssasniD - nos censsa-
cred.
Gov. Pingree believed IL would be oes-
ter to he forever poor. but independent
and happy as individuals. than 10 lay the
foundations for Industrial slavery and
tyranny. Equality Of opportunity for al
the worlds trade.
Trusts sAsasA - AsnsAnaseA
II favor complete and prompt anuihi-
lation Of the trusts declared Gov. Pin,
gree. with due regard for property
rights OF course"
EN-G0v. Yootee.
Ex-Sov. Foster. Of Ohio. was tho next
speaker. He said
"Denouuee trusts as we NAV. they
have come 10 stay. whv7 Because the
gigantic business operations Of she pres
ent and future cannot be carried on
without them Through the trust the
enormous waste that fs ensafIef upon
business operations by competition -
saved. Tbs product and the service per-
formed is cheap~nsd- Labor will have
the better opportunity 90 enhance wages
and shorten the hours Of toll. an IN 81
signaIiy illustrated in the railway service
OF the country.
Where the trusts shall have been
properly safegusrded BY law their secsirf-
nens az somewhat higher rate " tn
tsress than viii be paid by government.
state or municipal bonds. thus afforssnx
an opportunity for investment ny people
Of moderate means"
The next speaker after @x-Serresary
Foster was Attorney General Davis Of
Arkansas. He said.
zone % the greatest evils % The cou--
try Is 5Idge-rade saw-the judiciary de-
partmens invading the department OF tha
legislature
When Mr. Davis concluded TIRE chair
man introduced Prot. George Gunton. of
New York
Prof. George GunsDa.
Prot George Gu1ton. ~ New York.
spoke In substance - follows:
The trust question n only /. new phaz4
N- tSE On GfetAtrH1 ef Tree lutG&friaf
re-uras@. Every iuprox srrsut ir Industry
since HargTesves spinning jenny has had
30 fight It's way against popular prejudice
The hand Epnrn w~asers marched through
England and broke ne rs~ pssw@r Iaaraa
ard drove ths investors from t5efr nau1-<
Today. a century later. are sse~ te
face With another movement II ths sane
character the snt3-tT1isz agitation Abouf
,ne same reasons ara given against r-z1st-
and large corporations IA were xfv@n fur
breaking up the nr~t spinning frames An8
power ISorns Tae movement n taxing po-
liticaI form. and men ~ natssnai repasse
party i-asis-s. are as&ing tae p~sspfe -
abandon fhe posscy II Industrial freedom
and arbitrarily suppress large corrsaFz-
tfons Are ss- American People re2sg scr
sssrh h step
What - Ire Slsua.t0n> Wsshsz. sn~ sass
feg s~ca6~s a rad.cai change naz saznn
place IN tse xaol@ character of prus4sses-
i've industry. The progress Cf tsvenrsoa
ard u-~ 81 rarhfEsrr made srsag ent~r-
pTssss inposS bss. ard corr ID ssss for
m4tien ~ ssrxe Corporations. a Efrs~
later associations ,os r0re@resssrs. ard
corners - Gx pTiee-. we're sftesspte8