New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-17
DAVIES ON THE ICE TRUST,
.7rToRx TELLS PROFESSOR
LEE HOW HE HAS PROCEEDED
WITH DILIGENCE.
rs1-sr ATTORNEYS HAVE PUT EVERY POS
siBIE TECHNICAL oBJEcTToN IN
WAY OF A HEARING

cratic Stahe Convention denoUIc!HS the ACc
Trust. and was rather astonished at the
Professors temerity. thinking Of Richard
Croker's rule in the convention. The following
dav however the Attorney General discovered
that Professor Lees resolution had practically
been smo1hered only the barest mention OF the
Ice Trust appearing in the platform
Now. the Attorney General knows something
about the Ice Trust himself. for he has been
fighting It; actively in the courts Of this State
ever since last May; and since Professor Lee
mentioned the Republican Attorney-GeneraI'
in his resolution, and doubtless would be graft
fed 10 learn Of the efforts Of the Republican
state authorities TO make end of the trust,
the Attorney-General has just sent the following
letter 70 him:
state Of New-York
Attorney Generals Office.
Albany, September Is, 1900.
Professor Duncan Campbell Lee. Ithaca y. Y.
Dear Sir; I notice from the newspapers on
Wednesday last that you presented the follow
ing resolution 10 the Democratic State Conven-
ton OF the previous day then in session in
resolved That We especially condemn and
denoUnce that Illegal corporate combination
known as the Ice Trust which particularly oP-
prices for one Of the necessities Of life: and we
demand that the Republican Attorney General
proceed with diligence for the legal destruction
Of the said trust"
The platform adopted by the Democratic State
Convention the daY following does not contain
your plank. but merely this slight reference to
the Ice Trust: We condemn the corporate
combination known the Ice Trust"
think every right minded citizen in this
State viii regret the enasculation Of your reso-
luton the abandonment Of the truthful declara-
( ton that the Ice Trust particularly Expresses
the poor and arbitrarily raises the price for one
Of the necessities Of life"
This going into particulars concerning the
effect Of the Ice Trusts operations would have
been Of great value 10 those who are eudeavor-
ing with every means in their power TO destroy
that odious combination. II was hardly 10 be
cd / Augustus
Van Wyck and John Whalen, stockholders in
the Ice Trust, who had charge OF the writing OF
the platform, would permit Of the introduction
into IL OF a statement which would bring TO
the mind tho tenement house population Of the
city Of New-York and their suffering the last
summer IN consequence Of the savage greed OF
the Ice Trust
TAMMANY'S PECULIAR AND Personal IN
TEREsT.
Richard Croker the newspaper correspondents
also stated, instructed Mr.. Whalen and Mr.. Van
regarding the Ice Trust and even Nj Croker
would hardly think it prudent. in view OF his
extensive purchases and proats rom lee trust
stock, 10 go into detail about its operations
Further, 1t could hardly be expected that
John 2. Carroll and Randolph Guggenheimer,
delegates TO the convention, or the representa-
tives in that convention of Robert c. Van
Wyck and Hugh Mclaughlin. all heavy stock
holders in the American Ice Company. would
Dern1it OF any offensive illusions to the Ice
Trust, any utterances which would possibly
end 70 brpak down that trust and take away
may be added that il was with reluctance, OBJ
viously, = that Mr.. Croker permitted any ref
erence 5ashe Ice Trust
Your Resolution was suppressed upon its in
troductfon, and attempt made by the officers
Of the conyention. who were all named by Mr..
Croker lanfs Hugh Mclaughlin. TO prevent its
/ pubHcatiab. Grudgingly and only when forced
INTO a ct5T.er by your resolution, did Mr.. Croker
permit of the trifing mention made Of the Ice
Trust. Up to the last moment Augustus Van
Wyck, the newspapers state, fought any special
I mention Of the Ice Trust: he desired only
gan FOT
{ Democratic candidate for Governor of only two
! years ago opposed his political party in doing
''neanest of all trusts as it has been well
stated.
HINDERING THE ATToRNEY-GENE
WORK
My special reason for writing you this letter
! is because Of the phrase in your rejected plank
! which makes this declaration: We demand
! that the Republican Attorney-GeneraI proceed
! with diligence for the legal destruction of the
| sale trust"
| I deeply regret that this phrase disappeared
| from the Democratic partys platform, for its
| inclusion in the platform might have shamed
the officers OF the Ice Trust. and Mr. Croker and
/ his political lieutenants, who own most of the
/ stock. into abandoning obstructive tactics by
/ which since MAY last they have sought to pre-
( vent the Attorney Generals department of this
| State from accomplishing the legal death of the
/ strike out the phrase We demand that the Re
! publican Attorney-General proceed with dill
/ gence" Proceed with diligence against the Ice
! y,
| done They know full well that every legal re-
source available for the Republican Attorney
/ General has been employed to get forward the
! Ice Trusts suits. and that at every turn the Ice
| Trusts lawyers have been fighting the advance
! ment Of those suits. Mr.. Croker and MT Van
| Wyck do not wish TO call attention to that mat
| ter-the trusts desperate efforts in the courts
| TO preserve its monopoly. The prominent stock
/ holders of the Ice Trust, who sat delegates
in the convention naturally did not wish the
! attention Of the voters called loudly TO this
branch Of the Ice Trusts operations.
IN ing no rEc1 hot
! Mclaughlin plainly mixed politics with bust
/ ness; his business partnership with the Tam
| many Hall leaders in the Ice Trust clearly
| would permit him TO part company with
them in political life. They opposed the nom
inati0n of Bird 8. Coler a resident Of Kings
County and naturally the Democratic candidate
for Governor Mr. Mclaughlin even forced
by the business necessities of the political stu
/ Assembly district in Kings County 70 violate
! the instructions of the voters Of the district to
support him for Governor.
THE RECORD OF COURT PROCEEDINGS
I think however, that 1t will interest YOU to
know in some slight detail the efforts made in
the courts OF this State by the Ice Trust to
postpone month after month any check being
put upon its exactlons by this department and
accordingly append the record taken from the
registers Of this Office
On May TO- 1900 a formal application was
made 10 me to commence action to annul the
/ charter and preliminary hearing was had on
that day In New-YOrk City. The matter was
put down for May II. On May II a formal
hearing was had IN Albany. and five days were
, allowed for filing briefs. On May "a the ap-
! plication granted. On May % a petition
/ made and verified by Of my deputies.
On the day order applied for by
me, and granted by Judge Emory a. Chase. ap-