The Saint Paul globe., 1900-03-26
In L0DOr'S
Field.

Owing to the weather the meeting of
Section st. Paul, Socialist Labor party,
was not so largely attended as usual
yesterday afternoon. But the exercises
were spirited. Senator John H. Ives was
the speaker announced and he met the en-
gagement with a happy address.
Mr.. Ives subject was Needs of the
Hour" and he said in his opening that
he had not until quite recently decided
upon topic to present to the Socialists
who had cOmplimented him with an IN
VitatiOn to address them.
There were certain existing conditions,
he said, which would admit of consider
able improvement. How to meet and re-
form them was a most important ques-
ton. 1t had been said that the rich were
becoming richer and the poor poorer 1t
was quite possible that not all would in
dOrse this proposition in its entirety, but
1t was quite evident that the rich were
getting richer. This fact he believed none
would deny. 1t was possible that the
laboring man Of today might wear better
clothes and enjoy more of lifes luXuries
than he did thirty years ago. But along
about that time the millionaires of this
country might have been counted on the
fingers. Now 1t must be the multi-mil-
lonaire who attracts attention. 1t was
legislation, possibly, wrongly directed,
that had produced this condition. And
might destroy the republic. The need of
q change was pressing. United States
senators should be chosen by direct vote
Of the people and not through the con-
Eliminating influence of state legislatures.
We all had had occasion TO see the evil
OF this.
Secondly, the speaker had noticed that
when a corporation sought to throw the
arm OF the law around strikers it did
not rely on local courts, but sought the
aid OF United States judges in rendering
assistance through the means of injunC-
tions. This could be remedied by electing
such judges by direct vote of the people
instead OF giving their appointment into
the hands of the president. These United
States judges, not having been elected by
the people, were, of course, not so near to
the people
Thirdly there was the subject of trusts
Not q new question by any means. Mr.
Ives did not believe they did so much
harm when affecting merely the luxuries
of life. But when they controlled the
necessities the evil was incalculab!e
Then It was time to call q halt. Trusts
were the cTeatuI q of large capitalization.
Their promoter. We're men who required
enormous dividends. Many of them We're
founded on fictitious values. Money must
be made from their operation in some
way Some had claimed, in defense OF
trusts, that they reduced prices to con-
sumers. This meant, however, that soma
one must be thrown out of job. 1t was,
really, but natural for trust to squeeze
out the last cent possible.
Now there must be some remedy for
trusts. The speaker believed that one
way to control, or modify their evil,
would be to pass law forbidding an Of
ficer in one trust from holding an office
in another. Another way would be TO
license trusts in states wherein they did
business and make their franchise de-
pendent on living up to the law The
price of coal bore no relation to the re-
qulJements of the people 1t might Oe
well for government TO take charge of
oil wells and coal mines and run them at
cost to the consumer. They should be
purchased, bat all the water should first
be squeezed out OF the stock.
Mr. Ives said that it might, also, be
well TO limit the amount of one man S
property by law. Not unreasonably SO,