The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-14
ANTITRUST RESOLUTIONS.
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP OF ALI.
UTILITIES WANTED.

Currency Bill Now Pending in the
senate Was Denounced-Speech
Made and Solutions Proposed.
Chicago. Feb. 1.-THE Committee on Res
olutions of the National Antitrust Con-
ference tonight, after a stormy meeting.
finally agreed upon report which will
be submitted to the conference for adop-
ton tomorrow morning.
The discussion was caused by a differ
ence of opinion among the members as to
the details of how the government should
obtain control of the railroad, telegraph
and telephone lines.
faction, led by Tom L. Johnson, Louis
Post and other single-tax advocates, in
sisted that the value of franchise in as
Stunning control should be ignored. They
thought the government should take the
property without paying compensation to
the owners.
John P. Altgeld George F. Williams.
Gov Lee and ex-Attorney General Mon
nett of Ohio, were for government own
ership of these utilities, but thought the
cause would be injured by advocating
practical confiscation at this time. Fin
ally John P. Altgeld suggested a compro-
mise, which brought the warning fac
tons together and prevented a fight on
the floor of the convention later.
The provision denying the value of
franchise right was stricken out and an
amendment substituted declaring that
the owners should receive just compensa-
ton for all property taken, irrespective
Of water stock or other fictitious securi-
ties. This appeared to satisfy the radi-
Gals and was adopted.
The committee also unanimously fav-
ored direct popular legislation to obtain
the result.
For Government Ownership.
The platform unanimously adopted by
the committee declares for government
ownership of all public utilities
and natural monopolies, government
money, the referendum and direct
legislation and the withdrawal of
all protective tariffs from all articles
controlled by trust. Among other
things, after urging organization to deprive
trusts of their power it says:
We make no assault upon business
combinations for diminishing productive
cost or augmenting productive efficiency.
What we do assault is combinations for
ton. 1t is such combinations that consti-
tute the trust evil, and them we would
abolish root and branch.
when oppressive trusts are examined
they are found TO be combinations not
for augmenting wealth, but for hamperlng
its production; not for making things
plentiful and cheap, but for making them
scarce and dear Their strength lies in a
more intense concentration of monopoly
privileges. In some instances these priv
ileges are owned by the trust itself. In
some they result from conditions produced
by public policy. In others they are
farmed out in more or less secret ways
by the principal benehciaries to subsidiary
trusts
Against Standard Oil Trust.
The platform particularly attacks the
Standard Oil trust, TO which it says mo-
nopoly engendering laws have committed
the regulation of the peoples needs and
rights in one department of industry.
Their needs and rights in another have
been by .similar laws committed to the
beef trust" it says.
number of set speeches were heard
at the morning and after sessions of
the conference.
The night session was in the form of a
mass meeting. which was held at the
Auditorium, and brought out some of the
strongest speakers among the delegates,
Samuel NJ. Jones, John S. Crosby, George
Fred Williams and Tom L. johnson.
Judge George w. Beeman of Indiana
was the first speaker. Judge Beeman
said in part:
The work remaining to be done is the
education of the people. The people WHO
are opposed to trusts do not belong to
one political party, but they belong to all
parties, and come from the laboring and
producing classes to a great extent. and
II should be a grand, patriotic initiative if
the producers and laboyers of this country
would refuse to support any candidate
Tor a legislative or judicial office VINO
viii not give his pledge and solemn obliga-
ton to his constituency that he will not
accept pass from any railroad or steam>
ship line, or will not during his term of
office accept any rebate from a trust or
own any interest whatsoever in a trust.
This initiative would make it possible for
me enactment and enforcement of a law
making 1t a felony for any appointive jul
dclal officer to accept a pass or becoms
stockholder in a trust"
Condemned Currency Bill.
Resolutions introduced by Judge Fleming
OF kentucky were adopted by a rising
Vote strongly condemning the currency
Oil now before Congress.
committee to prepare a memorial TO
the United States Senate against the bill
was provided for. and the people of the
country urged to gather at court houses,
School houses and other public places to
protest against the measure.
Immediately Amasi Thornton Of New
York notified the presiding officer that he
would refuse to deliver the speech for
which he was scheduled to-day.
IN an interview later he explained that
ne had been assured that this was TO be
. non-partisan gathering. that assurance
pelng over the signature of President
lockwood, whom he believed does not APP
prove of the partisan resolution against
the currency bill.
Mr Thornton will not be further identi-
ned with the convention. w. A. Spalding
'uen addressed the conference.
MOnnett Made Chairman.
Thomas L. Johnsonsof Ohio, chairman
OF the committee on permanent organiza-
uon, reported in favor of Frank s. Mon
nett' former attorney general of Ohio.
iof permanent chairman of the confer
enoe. and vice presidents representing