Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-02-14
SEIZE THE RAILROADS.
Proposed. BY Anti Trust Con-
ference Committee.
THE CURRENCY BILL CONDEMNED.
Convention Did 1t by u Rising vote--one
Delegate Became Angry and Retired.
Government Ownership Theme of Reso-
buttons to BE Offered.

CHICAGO, Feb. 14.-After a heated
debate the resolutions committee of the
antitrust conference decided to report
IN favor Of government ownership of
railroads and for their seizure ON pay
ment of actual value and without pay
ment for watered stock or other ficti-
tious values. There was a sharp discus
sion i'll the committee and several tits
between members brought ON by nm
effort to make the platform read as ii
had been drawn up, that the govern
ment should seize the railroads ON pay
ment of actual value and witn1 ut pay
ment for Franchise values. Unanimous
action was finally obtained by cutting
out the words franchise Values in
sorting instead the phrase "watered
stock or other fictitious values. =
The committee also unanimously fa-
vored direct popular legislation as a
means OF obtaining the result.
The discussion in the committee room
far 0utranked the deliberations of the
main body of the conference. Ignatius
Donnelly, John P Altgeld, A. p Me-
Quirk, of Iowa, and George Fred Will
Jams urged the committee to strike from
the resolutions proposed a statement that
any payment for railroads should be ex-
elusive of franchise value.
''This is long fight, said Mr. Alt
geld, land it will be years before we
come to the actual discussion of the
proposition on which we are to base pay
ment. Let us not cucumber the discus
sion with it now
Henry George, Jr., however, took the
other side of the question. I'VE are
going before the people, he said. LET
us go with the whole, plain truth, and
let them judge of it. =
Jerry Simpson also favored this view
He and McQuirk had hot tilt.
Many startling statements were made
before the committee, among them one
by President M. l.. Lockwood, in which
he said that before the government own
ership was finally secured it would be
necessary to impeach at least one justice
of the federal supreme court. The COM
mittee also considered a proposition TO
recommend to the attention of congress
Senator Pettigrew's bill for government
ownership of railroads, but it was voted
down
A number of set speeches were heard
at the conference.
Last nights session was in the form
of massmeeting, which was held at
the Auditorium, and brought out some
of the strongest speakers among the
delegates, including John p. Altgeld,
+. S. Monnett, General Jones, S. H.
Grossly, George Fred Williams and Tom
L. johnson.
The platform adopted by the conven-
ton declares for government ownership
of all public utilities and natural monop-
olies, government money, the referen-
dunn and direct legislation, and the
withdrawal of all protective tariffs from
all articles controlled by trust.
Preceding and in connection with the
platform is long address to the people,
which attacks the Standard Oil and other
trusts. One paragraph said:
We make no assault upon bus mess combina-
tions for diminishing productive cost and in
creasing productive efficiency. The more cas-
lily wealth is produced, and the more there is,
the better for every body-provided distribution
be equitable. What we do attack is combna-
tions for coercng producers and lessening pro-
duction. 1t is such combinations that consti-
tute the trust evil and them we would abolish
root and branch
Amasa Thornton, of New York, took
umbrage at one action of the con-
ference and refused to be longer identi-
fed with it. The trouble was caused by
the adoption of resolutions introduced
by Judge Fleming, of Kentucky, which
strongly condemned the currency bill
now before congress- The resolutions
declared that the bill, if passed, will
"enthrone the money olgarchy and es-
tablish continental bank trust, enslaaa
the people and destroy the republic to
the end that free government may perish
from the earth.
A committee to prepAre memorial to
the United States senate against the bill
was provided for, and the people of the
country are urged to gather at court
houses, school houses and other public
places to protest against the measure.
Thomas L. johnson, of Ohio, chair
man of the committee on permanent or
ganization, reported in favor of Frank
S. Monnett, former attorney general Of
Ohio, for permanent chairman of the
conference, and permanent vice presi-
dents, representing most of the states
and territories, were recommended and
approved by the convention. Mr.. Mon
nett was escorted to the chair and spoke
briefly.