The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-15


| tone on the part of the people.
There is not an unlawful combination
| in America today that does not owe its
| existence to some unfaithful representa-
tive of the people. There is not one that
| cannot be destroyed in short order by
an honest enforcement of the laws These
| trusts or combinations against which the
| laws do not run are no more to be de-
| cried than any other manifestation Of
| business enterprise.
| The American public needs tonic of
| solid doctrine for the instruction of youth
| and for the admonition of the aged, which
| will show that business power is too deep
seated for correction. One immediate and
wholesome effect of such tonic would
| be the impartial enforcement of wise
laws against all offenders, and the re-
! peal of obviously unwise laws regardless
OF the protests of their beneficiaries. No
| unlawful trust could stand for day in
| the face OF a public sentiment so actuat-
| ed.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The afternoon session was devoted tc
| the papers on relation of agriculture to
! trusts Dudley WooteH acted as chair
! man FOR the session, but presided over
| delegations even thinner than they were
| during the forenoon. W. Bourke Cochran
was missed from the ranks of the New
Workers, but these gentlemen asserted
that he had not forsaken the conference.
An Eastern delegate slept through the en-
q
eDnui which affected many others to a
| lesser degree. Gov. Pingree was IN at
| tendance, and at the close responded.
| lie merely observed that ne was opposed
| to trusts for reasons, he said, which he
would tell those who attended in the
evening. The Michigan governor to-
gether with Gov. Atkinson, of West Vir-
ginia; Gov. Scofield of Wisconsin, and
| Gov. Stanley, of Kansas, upon the in
%
! the stage.
Samuel H. Greedy, of the Chicago board
| of trade, spoke on The Protection of
| American Grain Markets from Railroad
and Warehouse Monopoly" He was fol-
| lowed by ]. c. Hanley, cf st. Paul, dele
gate from the National Farmers Alliance
and Industrial union
Aaron Jones' of South Bend, Ind, mas
| ter of the National Grange declared that
the farmer was opposed to no other
branch of industry, including trusts.
The last speaker of the afternoon was
Maj. Benjamin Tucker, of New York,
editor OF an anarchistic paper. He gave
his view of trusts from the view point
Of the anarchist
The speakers with one accord OVER
stepped the twenty minutes allowed each
speech. At the close an opportunity for
discussion was offered. but a motion to
as carried.
MR.. HANLEY, OF ST. PAUL.
J. c. Hanley, Of St Paul, spoke on for
eign markets and American shipping, and
the effect and influence of these on agri-
culture
Trusts and combines" said he, eff
conducted on a strict business competf-
tive system, would be a blessing rather
than curse. But the operation of many
OF these gigantic monopolies as conducted
al present is a menace to the existence
and stability of our nation, I am con-
vinced that legislation cannot control this
evil without striking at the root of it,
and that the government own and control
all means of transportation and public
utility"
Mr. HanIey then went deep into statis-
tics showing the effect of enlarging our
market, and extending it TO foreign coun-
tries on our agriculture.
In the course of his speech Aaron Jones
said:
'It occurs to me that the first step IN
legislation is to pass a we'll considered
antitrust law by the congress of the
United States, defining the powers and
limiting the privileges OF these corpora
tons And supplement this law by en-
actments of the several state legislatures
tc apply to such phases as could not be
reached by the federal law"
Maj. Tucker at the close of bis speech
said:
Free access to the world of matter,
abolishing land monopoly; free access to
| the world of mind, abOlishing idea mon
! opoly; free access to q free and untaXed
market, abolishng tariff monopoly and
money lGonopoly-secure these and all the
rest shall be added unto you. For liberty
| is the remedy cf every social evil; and to
anarchy must the world lock at last for
any enduring guarantee of social or
DER
Vice President Corliss of New York,
presided at the evening session.
P F DOVE, of New York, made a
motion that the names of persons who
lad been admitted to the floor since the
| organization was effected be stricken
from the rolls.
GOV. PINGREE~ SPEAKS
A point of order was raised and sus-
tanned by the chair. who then introduced
Gov. Pingree of Michigan. Gov. Pngree
| spoke about 1.-The Effects of Trusts Upon
| Our National Life and Citizenship" He
sai6
"In all that has been said about trusts
scarcely word has been written or spok-
en- from the standpoint of their effect or
society. In this busy, rushing Ieverish
world everything is ruled by the COM
| mercial spirit. The dollar seems to be
| the standard for measuring all things.
! In gathering material for the use of this
conference. the Civic Federation of Chi
cago sent out circulars containing in all
| siXty-nine questions. Those inqllirl IS
were addressed TO trusts wholesale
| tons railroads, labor assC Ciations con-
/ tractors. manufacturers. economists.
financiers and public men. Only one of
these sixty-nine questions related In any
! way to the effects of trusts upon so
| ciety. I do not call attention to this in
order to criticize the Civic federation. |
. do so for the purpose of showing that in
all the discussion of trusts there is. no
! Indication that any thought whatever has
/ been given to their effect upon our nd-
tional life, upon our citizenship, and
upon the lives and character, of the men
and women who are the real strength of
the republic. l think that this is the
most important consideration of all.
Everybody has been asking whether
more money can be made by trusts than
by small corporations and Individuals
whether cost of production will be in
/ creased or decreased-whether investors
will be benefited or injured-whethcr we
| can better compete for the worlds trade
with large combinations trusts
| whether prices will be raised or lowered
whether men will be thrown out OF enl-
pIoyment-whether wages will be higher
! or loWer-Whether Stricter economy can
be enforced and so on. In other words
the only idea nowadays seems to be to
| find out how business or commerce will
be affected by trusts The Almighty
Dollar is the sole consideration.
"I believe that all these things are
minor considerations. / think it is of far
greater importance to inquire whether
| the control of the worlds trade. or any
! of the other commercial advantages
! claimed for the trust are worth the
! price we pay for them. Will it pay us
| either as individuals or as a nation to
encourage trusts"
Instead of discussing the question
from the standpoint of commercial gain.
Continued on Fourth Page.