The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-13
OPPONENTS OF TRUSTS MEET.
PROMINENT MEN GATHERED To
FIGHT THE OCTOPUS.

Vfews-Nany solutions Suggested
by the Speakers.
Chicago. Feb. 12.--To-night at the closd
of the first days proceedings of the Anti-
Trust Conference called by the National
| Antitrust League, good progress had
been made with the set speeches, of which
a dozen or more were delivered
The Resolutions Committee, meantime.
was busy and formulated resolutions cov-
erIng the following points;
Government ownership of all railways
and telegraph lines; the abolition of all
special privileges by legislative enactmenti
| placing on the free list of all trust goodss
and direct legislation by petition from the
people.
The discussion In committee was carried
out on those lines. An amendment was
offered for tho taxation of all franchises,
| but was voted down. on the ground thas
such action would simply legallze special
privileges
II. s. plgelow of Cincinnati was the firsr
speaker at the night session. He said in
conclusion: "a
Justice requires that all trade restric-
tions be removed for these are sure ia
|
tice requires that all public utilities ba
operated at cost, giving to each citizen
! great or small the same service for tho
same pay. Justice requires that the bur-
| den Of taxation be placed where 1t be-
longs, upon ground rent, that no citizen
may be deprived Of his Share in the CONS
mon gift of God Neglect these reforms
and our liberties must survive or perish
in convulsion.'
Consressman suIxer's Speech.
! Congressman William Sulzer of New
York received a hearty reception whers
presented to the audience. He said. In
part: 4
To-day about 200 trusts control, wholly
or in large part, every conceivable produces
and industry of the country.
"These gigantic conspiracies and combs
nations called trusts constitute, in my
Judgment, the greatest and the gravesx
menace at the present time to our Demos
cratic institutions. They control the sup
ply, monopolize the product and dictats
the price OF almost every necessary OF
life. They force out of legitimate employ
ment every year thousands and thousands
| OF honest toiiers They limit productions
| enhance prices reduce wages and arbi-
/ trarily write the terms of their own cons
/ tracts. They destroy successful competis
| ton, paralyze honest industry, assassinats
| struggling labor and hold the consumers
| of our country In their monopoistic grasp.
'How much longer will the people con-
| sent to be robbed and submissive permit
| a continuation OF this outrage? The trusts
| have their being and grow by special Leg
lslation; they live and wax fat by governs
| mental favoritlsm.
| eff the question is ever presented wheth-
| er the trust shall run the government ana
enslave humanity. or whether the peoples
| shall own the trusts-not for the benefit OF
the few but for the good of all--and to
| free the industrial masses-then ! shall
vote with the people in favor OF governs
ment ownership Of trusts. They must eith%
er be destroyed or owned and conducted
by the people for the benefit of all.
| Distribution of wealth.
1.-THE total population Of the United
| States Is about 100000 The total ag>
gregate wealth Of the United States ac-
| cording to the best statistics that can bd
procured, is estimated at about $65, ,000,-
900, 900. and II appears, and no doubt much
| TO the surprise OF many, that out of a to-
| tai population of rs 10000 less than 25,<
600 persons In the United States own moro
| than one-han of the entire aggregates
wealth of The land. And this has all BEEN
| brought about during the last twenty-fiva
| years by COfnDinatiOnS ana cOnSplracle1
| called trusts fostered by special legisla~
| tion and nurtured by political favoriisns
''The Capitalization of wealth In tho
| hands of the few by the robbery of tbs
many during the past quarter of a ce1-
| tury has been simply enormous and the
| facts and figures are appalling. Three
| quarters of the entire wealth of our land
| appears to be concentrated in the hands
| of a very small minority OF the people and
|, the number of persons constituting that
l lle.no
| year Impartial students of these start
| ling facts and statistics can hardly escape
| the Irresistible conclusion that a conspr-
| acy exists, and has existed for some time,
| to convert the government of the United
| States into powerful oligarchy Of wealth.
| consisting of few thousand multi-mii-
| lionaires who will own and control all the
| other people.
'"rhe plutocrats, the trusts, the monop-
| olies and the syndlcates seem TO be su-
preme and legislate for their own inter-
ests their own benefit, and their own pro-
| lection. II It continues the yeomanry 90
| our country win soon be reduced to a
condition of Industrial serfdom more piti-
! able than ever existed before In the hts
| tory of the world
''yrhe money power, the trusts, and ths
| favored few Of the land. threaten the per-
| petuity of our free institutions by subsi-
| dizing the pulpit, buying the press, seat
| ing wel-paid attorneys in legislative halls
| and courts OF justice, sunlng Tree speech,
and the right Of lawful assembly, and
| stretching out their tentacles to the coll
| leges Of the land to crush professors who
have the courage OF their convictions and
| dare to tell the truth regarding economic
land social principles While the Republic
| can party is in power the trusts will -four
| ish like a green bay tree. When the Dem-
| ocraic party comes into power a Demo-
| cratic President will appoint a Demo-
! cratic attorney general who will enforce
the law against the trusts and they Will
dissolve and disappear like mist before
the rising morning sun and be gone for
| ever" AAAAN
Bolton Halls solution.
Mr. Bolton Hall of New York said In
conclusion:
''The hope Of some Socialists that thS
organization Of all trusts will facilitate