The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-22

world This agricultural class is not
organized and cannot be organized into
trusts or combines, and must be perfected
against other interests which can COM
bine
THE industrial and other important in
terests are combined to control the wealth
of the country in the hands of a few, and
by these means the sweat and toll OF
the millions are controlled. Our object
is to prevent this. Corporations are nee
essary, in a proper degree, to the sue
cessful conduct of business, but they
should not be so managed and controlled
as to destroy business. 1t is not proper
to place the commerce of this great coun-
try in the hands of three or four people
and thereby control the labor and destiny
of the republic.
GROWTH OF TRUSTS.
when all these industries are COM
bined into one In the manufacture of
given article they paralyze labor without
extending sufficient protection. 1t is one
of the objects of this conference to cor
rect this condition of affairs. Within
recent years. think less than two
years-not less than 200 trusts have or
ganized, with capital of 81, 4,256, 100000. If
all the gold drawn from the earth could
be marshalled in to one sum 1t could rot
pay the obligations of these trusts: If all
the silver taken from the earth were
applied it could not cancel the obliga-
tions Of these combinations.
why this IS so? 1t is so because they
are capitalized on wind and water. No
national government, state government
or municipal government has ever forced
them to declare a dividend. You know,
and I know, they cannot be made to pay
a dividend One of the objects of these
resolutions is to correct this evil as far
as possible.
These combinations have affected the
life and earning power of a vast number
of people known as commercial travellers,
$4,000 have been deprived of their posi-
tions within two years Is the consumer
benefited by this? Anybody can answer
that question by the fact that It Is
patent to all that no one is benefited but
the trust by reducing the cost of produc-
( ton and increasing the price of the
product thus depressing the consumer
We believe In a system of inspection
of the books, property and assets of
these combinations. Is there anything
wrong in this? 1t Is in conformity with
the constitution and laws of the nation
and the state.
81 recall as a national legislator the
suppression of one trust, marvelous as
that may seen. We had a quinine trust
once. A representative in congress in
trOduced a resolution in the tariff bill
| to place quinine upon the free list. The
senate concurred, and the president
signed the bill and the trust was ut
terly demolished. That was the action
of the federal government. The national
state and municipal governments, acting
| in concert, can correct many of these
evils. 1t Is impossible for the legislature
to regulate them all There are other
instances in which the general govern
ment can assist"
INTERESTS NON-PARTISAN.
In concluding, the speaker claimed
that the interests We're so vital as not to
be of a partisan character, but contended
that a prohibitive tariff had much to do
with the creation of trusts, using the
sugar trust as an illustration.
Attorney General Davis, of Arkansas,
followed with a special plea for the reso-
luton known as section7, which he be-
lieved to be the most important of the
series. He regretted there had been
an element injected into the proceedings
which momentarily- disturbed the har-
mony of the conference and In so doing
took occasion to defend Cows. Savers
and Stephens against the attack of Gov
Shaw, of Iowa.
Gov. Savers then put the question, and
dissenting vote.
Attorney General Campbell, of Color
ado moved that committee of five be
appointed to formulate a bill along the
lines of the resolution adopted, and that
the governors at the conference present
1t to their respective legislatures for
enactment, also recommending it to the
chief executives of other states
Gov. Jones, of Arkansas, and Mr.. Heif-
Washington
to this and it was lost.
Resolutions thanking Gov. Savers for
his efforts in behalf Of the congress were
adopted Before declaring the confer
ence adjourned, Gov. Sayers said:
OF course it goes without saying that
L feel very grateful to you, not only for
the manifestation of your es eem and
recognition Of the proper discharge of my
duties as your presiding officer but [
want to express my sincere and earnest
gratitude and acknowledgement that upon
the simple suggeS ion which I felt it nv
duty to make to the governors and attor-
ney generals Of this union, twelve states
responded This has never before oc-
CURED in the history of our government
! where such questions Is those were in
volved: 1 feel l. to be my duty to say the
idea of inviting the governors and attor-
ney generals was not original to myself,
but one for which l feel responsible to the
( people Of this country
Some criticism has been made on nv
actiOn-not here but elsewhere-but l
think you will bear me witness that no h.
ing has been done to influence your action
here. have had requests to conmun cate
In private way, with certain persons,
! but I have said nothing nor have I writ
ten anything upon trusts except an article
In an August magazine upon the laws of
the Texas legislature Nothing has been
done in the dark, nor in a corner, but
everything with the light thrown upon it
by the newspapers Of the land While I
am aDemocrat OF Democrats. yet have
sought this conference n
the interests of my own party.
while ! look back to the war of 1861
1865, cur great epoch, and while as a boy
I espoused the cause of the confederaey
on crutcfes to the end of the war, yet
feel all this blood and sacrifice of prop
erty has been for the bes interests of the
whole people. Still the present IS another
epoch of equal Importance, and I believe
It is not only within the power of the
human INTELLECT to evolve proper solu-
| ton, bur believe the Almighty will lend
US this assistance. The American repuD-
lie was not born TO divide the government
Of the states with live forever"