The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-13
ANTITRUST GUNS
Open At CHICAGO
The Conference Meets and
Gets to Work.
a NRFR 0E ADDRESSES
A NJ MBER OF ADDRESSES
COVER NMENT OWNERSHIP OF
RAILWAYS ADVOCATED.
ABOLITION OF SPECIAL PRIVILEGES
This Should b, Accomplished by Legislative
Enactment. The Placing Of All Trust
Goods on the Free List Was
Also Advocated.


Chicago. Ills. Feb. 12-Tonight at the
close of the first days proceedings of the
Antitrust Conference. called by the
National Antitrust League good prog
rcss had been made with the set speeches,
of which II dozen or more were delivered.
The Resolutions Committee meantime
was busy and formulated resolutions
covering the following points:
Government ownership Of al railways
and telegraph lines the abolition Of Ill
special privileges by legislative enact
ment; placing on the free list all trust
goods. and direct legislation by petition
from the people.
The discussion IN committee was car
ried ont on those lines. An amendment
was offered for the taxation of all fran
chises. but was voted down on the ground
that such action would simply legaiize
special privileges.
MIR. BUGEI.OW'S ADDRESS.
H. $. Bigelow was the first speaker
at the night session. He said:
',rhese combinations are not i'll them
selves wrong. How theu do they be-
come agencies of harm: If the trust has
power not only to ask higher prices but
to compel the people to pay them. it Is
not 4 harmless combination Of capital, 1t
is a MONOPOLY and therefore a menace to
liberty.
Suppose Il trust is effected, including
all the iron industries III the United
States. The people say: You ask too
much for your iron We will buy else
where: We will go abroad. But there is "a
law by which they are fined If they go
abroad for their iron. That law is bull
pen of their own construction, into winch
the trust drives them. There Is the ele-
ment of injustice. not In the combina
ton. but i'll the unjust law which gives
TO the combination the character of a
monopoly. Justice demands not that
the combinations should he punished fol
taking advantage of the law. but that
the law should be repealed. They have
Il right to combine, but the people com
nit folly when they permit these comol
nations to tax the industries OF the
country to maintain their artificial prices
This system leyics tariff upon free
dom and lends protection to monopoly. Ii
does for the People of America what the
English feet is ready TO do for the peu-
Ile OF the TranSvaal: il prevents foreign
intervention while their property is con
tiScated and their liberty destroyed. Free
trade is the first principle of internation-
al brotherhood. Let Us raise the block
ade of our ports and thus take from the
trusts one Of the weapons with WHICH
they threaten our liberty.
But the Trusts have picked UP FROM
our commercial system another weapoA
of infinitely greater power. The coh-
trol of public highways Is clearly govern
1nent function Tremendous are THESE
powers Of government that We have left
in private hands 1t is the function OF
the State to see that men have equal
rights OH these great avenues of steam
and electricity. Leave these subject 10
private control and YOU have taxation
without representation People are more
dependent upon trunk lines than rIpon
armies and navies. II were rs safe TO
farm out the defense OF the nation as
TO leave these highways for thoughts
and things i'll the possession Of private
corporation whose stocks inGrense i'll
value with the growth Of population.
whose rates are always as high as the
traffic will stand. and whose favors are
more coveted than the smiles OF a sover-
merce commissions could ever proven.
the thousand ways by which these high
waymen may favor some and ruin 9th
ers: Is it not time to demand that these
public highways shall be operated direct
~ by the people to the end that one man
may have this service aS chFaply as an
other. and that all may have il is cheaply
as possible.
But the trust monopoly has more
deadly weapon still. The abolition OF.
land monopoly cannot he omitted from
"Dy effective antitrust programme. We
90 not wish to restrict the liberties Of
the trust. We wish 10 destroy these So
clad conditions which furnish tbe trusts
the opportunity TO restrict the liberty or
others. Our present property laws i'll
regard to land furnish such oppOrtuni-
ties. and We demand therefore. that they
lie changed and made to conserve the
natural rights of ALL
Destroy the monopoly of the business
locations in Chicago. destroy the monopo
II Of the roads leading into the city and
destroy the monopoly of the mines. ana
what power for harm would the trusts
have! Respect the right of men to
possess more fields than they
can use. when there are idle
men who would be glad to use them and
you simply extend the laws of property
until they have destroyed the right TO
work. Respect the right of men to control
more coal mines than they can use when
men are shivering and women and chill
dren freezing and YOU simply extend the
laws Of property until they have destroy
ed the right to life. Allow any individual
class or corporation to hold land as pri-
waite property and charge others for the
use of it, and every citizen who has not
been able to take advantage of these
laws is robbed of his birthright and has
no right to live an honest life outside
the poorhouse without paying others for
the privilege
But there are some who say: The
trust is the result of evolution Do not
disturb it. Let it grow, and when it is
of age we will make it the adopted child