The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-13
ANTITRUST CONVENTION
Representative Sulzer Scores Com
binations of Capital.
Declares None Could Exist With IA
Proper Enforcement of the sbcr-
mnn Lnw-statc Socialism Prefer
able TO Enhancement by These Or
ganizntions-Bryan and Jefferson.

CHICAGO. Feb. 1.-Two things were
Kept well in view by the men in control
of the National Antitrust Conference
which opened a three days session here
today. First. to conserve nonpartisan pre-
tensions; second, to permit the widest
latitude in the presentation OF personal
hobbies through the programme oil pubhc
addresses. while restricting the ofnciai
utterances of the conference perfected IN
committee to the few points oil agreement
manifest among the delegates.
These clearly are the abolition OF all
tariff protection now accorded to trust
products. The denunciation of the financial
legislation impending in Congress, and the
naturalization OF railways and telegraphs.
OF the papers read this afternoon, the
most effective was that of c. b. Matthews,
of Buffalo, on the Standard Oil Trusts
victims. Its ready wit, biting sarcasm. and
radical suggestions kept the house in
tumult of laughter and applause.
Tonight Congressman Sulzer of New York
was the principal speaker.
Mr.. Sulzer was greeted by round after
round of applause. He said in part;
ut has been said by some unthinking
persons that there are good trusts and
bad trusts That we should applaud ana
commend the good trusts and denounce
and condemn the bad trusts.
Under the law this specious argument
is untenable, and the men who make 1t are
the hired attorneys and the special plead
ers for the trusts, or they are the lace
tious fellows picking fun at the victims.
Under the law of our country trusts
are criminal, and there is no distinction
between a so-called good trust and So
called bad trust-between big trust and
q little trust. Every trust is contrary to
both the spirit and the letter of the law.
To seriously contend otherwise as a legal
proposition would be preposterous. If we
did so. by analogy, we might as consist
entity assert that there were good pirates
and bad pirates. If robbery is criminal 1t
is immaterial. SO far as the crime is con-
cerned. whether the robbery is big one
or a little one. The violation of law is
the same.
The law on the statute books against
trusts is clear and plain, and the highest
court in the land has passed on It's va
lidity. and sustained the constitutionality
of it's provisions. The Antitrust act OF
1890 declares that every contract or COM
bination in the nature OF a trust IN re-
straint of trade and commerce among the
several States and Territories, or with
foreign nations. is a conspiraey-illega
and Woodland punishable by fine and i'm
prisonment.
Trusts Can Be Prosecuted.
Under this Antitrust act it seems TO
me every trust in the United States can
be prosecuted for violation Of law-the
charter anulled. aad the men behind II
punished for conspiracy. Every trust by
It's very nature is in restraint O. trade aud
commerce, and in violation OF This law.
..If YOU will read the Antitrust act OF
1890 and the decisions OF the United States
Supreme Court in the uans-Mis-
souri, freight case and the Addy-
ston Pipe Line case. the con-
clusion will be Irresistible to the logi-
cal mind that the fault is no. SO much
with the law as II is with the men who
are sworn TO enforce the la~. The law
SO far as IL goes is all right the doing
nothing Attorney General is all wrong. The
lIDDcTdliNt vi NI0 dds 10 thASANN
the law, and every trust in the country Will
dissolve. Whenever the trusts have been
brought before the courts, and their true
character shown, they have been declared
illegal.
In my opinion-and / say so adyisedly-
the Department of Justice under the pres
ent law can institute and successfully
maintain actions against every trust doing
business in the United States. The law
Is clear and plain and the facts are with
in the knowledge of all and too obvious
for controversy.
Let us pause here and briefly consider
the facts
To-day about two hundred trusts con-
troll. wholly or in large part, every con-
ceivable product and industry of the coun-
try.
Gigantic Conspiracies.
These gigantic conspiracies and combi-
nations called trusts constitute, in my
Judgment, the greatest and the gravest
menace at the present time II our Demo-
cratic institutions. They control the sup
ply, monopolize the product. and dictate
the price of almost every necessary of
life. They force out OF legitimate EMPLOY
ment every year thousands and thousands
of honest toilers. They limit production,
enhance prices. reduce wages, and arbi-
trarily write the terms Of their own con-
tracts. They destroy successful COMPETE
tion, paralyze honest industry, assassinate
struggling labor. and mold ne consumers
OF our country in-their moroIolistic grasp.
They levy tribute like rcbber barons Of
old on every man, woman, and child in
the Republic. They blight the poor man s
home, darken the hearthside of his
children, cloud the star of youths legiti-
mate hope and destroy equal op-
portunity. They control State and National
legislation, escape taxation, and eyade
= the lust burdens OF the Government, while
their agents construct aud maintain tar
les to suit their selfish ends and greedy
purposes. They imperil traffic, stagnate
trades, regulate foreign and interstate
commerce, declare quarterly Dividends on
watered stock, and make fortunes every
year by robbing the people. Their tyran-
nicai power. rapid growth. and centraliza-
tion OF wefl;h is the marvel OF recent
times and the saddest commentary the
future historian will make on our legisla-
tive history. They practically own, run,
and control the Government, and defy
prosecution for violation of law III their
power of concentration and Capitalization
is not speedily checked and they go on
for another quarter Of century like they
have In the past few years, / believe our
free institutions Will be destroyed. and in
stead OF Government of the people. by
the people. and for the people, We will
have a Government OF the trusts, by the
trusts, and for the trusts.
Live by Government FavoritI.m.
''How much longer VIII the people con-
sent to be robbed and submissiyely permit
a continuation of this outrage? The trusts
have their being and grow by special leg
islation; they live and wax fat by Govern
mental fayoritism