The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-01-05

sociation met at indianapolis on
Thursday of last week, and elected
+. +. Van Orman, Of the st. George 4
Hotel, Evansville, President for the
next year.
Following the business meeting,
Gov. Mount, present as the guest OF
the association, was called upon Tor
an address. In part he said, as re-
ported in the Sentinel:
"The question is one OF absorb
ing interest at this time. Some OF
the diverging views are pursued toI
radical extremes. Some OF the rad
ical pro-trust champions claim
to be blessing and com
petition damaging. The extreme
antitrust advocates see in all az
gregation of capital only evil. I"
MANY of the so-called trusts are
being capi allied on wind and water,
and many will speedily collapse,
with their promo ters wiser but poor
er. The attempt to IN Ike profits on
fraudulent orover-capitalizatlon or Will
be the first incentive to the pro-
moters to lower wages and raise
prices on the plea Of fair returns on
capital invested. Like many OF our
water plants, gas plants and street
railways. they have capitalization
on which to make reasonable
profits" when attacked in courts
for exorbitant chargee, and another
capitalization, diminutive in com
parison, to present to the tax board
for assessments.
MANY COMPLAINTS MADE.
81 have hal numerous com
! plants filed in nv office as to th'
exactions made by the combination
Iof underwriters. One man write
me from Farmersburg, Ind, tha
the lowest rate he could secure oi
a business building was $500 OF
the hundred. He wrote to tn
different agents and their reply wa
that they were not allowed to Gu
slunder rites established by the com
'Ibination; that ii tnsy did 50 the,
would be removed from the com
bination.
: Zone of the misleading argu
y ments often presented is that trust
: cheapen articles. The Standar
: oil company is cited by many q
: evidence that trusts cheaper prices
e Facts do not warrant this ASSUME
s ton.
I THEIR POLITICAL WELFARE.
: "Another potent danger to publ
! veal is the political influence th'
= these great aggregations OF capit'
a have. They are often enabled
: control legislative bodies, an
Through the plausible argumen
esthey are able to print and scatte
! broadcast over the land, many al
K deceived and led to believe thi
: these gigantic monopolies are real
public benefactions.
y "Many questions involved in Il
discussion of trusts cannot
u lowered in one brief address. I'll
!, first thing to be done is to educa
1.-the public to the true situation.
? "a danger understood Is ha
9 averted. To be forewarned is to
',,Ifore armed. have not attemptt
Tin this argument to provide Il
remedy but present the DANCE
= There is grave danger in the te
q dencv of allowing combinations
y to purchase industries and clio
n,them The very act ought to
- prima facie evidence OF conspira'
7 in restraint OF competition.
: EQUAL RATES FOR ALL.
Gan industry or establishme
that lowers prices in one locality
destroy competition should be cor
i, .lpelled by law to make like rates
, all other customers. Publicity
I every action showing capitalizatio
n expenses, profits, ETC., should
N made for the general information
! the people. These are problems
that may be easily a
: .liusted when once the necessity
m made apparent to those upon who
u. the responsibility primarily res
+, Gentlemen, be not deceived. L
60 people are aroused to the gravity
"a the situation and will demand su
:, laws as will give equal privilee
ho and opportunities to all; likew
,;s they will so act as to restrain
or greed OF monopoly in its Efforts
destroy small industries add p
alyze individual manhood. F"
tn JoHv w. KERN SPEAKS.
no John w. Kern responded to
ne e,ltoast, "The Results Of Monopoly
u He said in part
TO- at is matter Of congratulati
m to the state Of Indiana that G.
ny Mount has the courage to opp
ai- trusts "a he does. II takes cour'
to stand up before aggregations
wealth and oppose trusts, and
es' who does it is deserving of prai
when the life Of the nation is