The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-14
SEATTLE, THURSDAY, JUNE -.


Democracy and the Trusts.
AS day by day the business affairs OF
the sixty-million dollar Ice trust which
has been holding up the people OF New
York come to Hight in the court pro-
. ceedings the more clearly does 1t APP
pear that II Is Tammany concern
from top to bottom. The list OF the
principal stockholders. az appears by
the company's books. now In possession
OF a court referee, Is a roster Of Tam
many managers; and the circumstances
under which the heavily watered stock
was distributed to these Democratic
leaders are such a. to constitute almost
trrefutable presumption of corruption.
FOR example, Mayor Van wyck. by his
own confession, In the owner OF 1900
shares OF the trust stock, OF the par
value OF s4so.ooo. The books OF the COM
pany disclose that Mt different times he
has owned altogether 1890 shares OF
the par value OF si.23o.Ooo. He admits
that ne gave for the stock he purchased
nothing but his promlssory notes. and
that he expected TO take up these notes
out Of the profits OF his stock transac-
tion. Two bills adversely affecting tho
Ice trus, came before him for signature
and were vetoed on April 20. On the
same day. according to the record, ne
secured s.coo shares OF the trust stock
and his brother. Augustus. secured 1000
shares.
Richard Croker. the Tsmmany boss
holds s,2o5 shares OF the par value of up
wards OF 100000 In his own name or In
the names OF some members OF his fam
lily. John r. Carroll. Cookers personal
agent. holds 7.osT shares and Augustus
Van wyck 300 sharcs. Several of the
Tammany Judges were at different
times owners of heavy blocks of the
stock. but most OF them took their pro-
fts on the advance In price which fol-
lowed the special privileges granted by
Tammany's dock commissioners and
The vetoes OF Tammany's mayor
while Augustus Van wyek Is not at
present an offioe-holder, his case Is
worthy of special mention. He was the
Democratic candidate for governor Ut
New York against Roosevelt. and made
splendid run against one Of the most
popular men In the state or nation.
At the time when there was some I'm
gering hope In the breasts OF the East.
ern Democrats that they might succeed
In heading or Bryan. the name ot
Augustus Van .wyek was seriously pro-
posed fer the presidency He has been
one os the most prominent antitrust
speakers in the country. His speech
before the Commercial Travellers As.
sociatlon on the trust question has been
widely circulated by the members OF
that association. and was considered
ene Of the most effective documents
which the Democrats had 70 usr
during the present campaign. In
this speech he held that trusts not only
reversed the fundamental axtoms Of
trade bat struck a. with the dagger ~
tho ASSASSIN at the very heart of that
individual enterprise which. next 20 love
OF liberty for its Own sake. Is the enor-
siGlns force OF American institutions.
les Ut the very time this speech was
made Augustus Van wyck Was a heavy.
holder ot the stock 81 one % the mean
est ard most oppressive trusts ever
created. which owed its existence g po-
nticAl fsyors aud privileges extended
tn It by public officials elected by the
Democrats party,
The simple fact that individual Demo
Gratis are large holders Of trust stocks,
acquired by them not as legitimate tn-
vestments but as the price OF political
fayors, would not Of itself convict
the Democratic party OF gross hypocrisy
In dealing with the trust proposition.
But what is 10 be said OF the selection
by q unanimous vote. OF Augustus Van
Wyek and Richard Croker TO head the