Arizona daily citizen., 1901-07-05
A SOUTHERN JUDGE ON TRUSTS.

The Hon. Emery Speer elected as Demo
crat to Congress from Georgia district became an
Independent, and finally Republican,, and was re-
warded by the Republican party by being made a
United States Judge. Judge Speer by no means
voices the sentiments Of the Southern people, yet
Notwithstanding his political Inconsistencies, there
is Il certain respect for him throughout the South.
Weare indebted to Mr.. Wm +. Murphy of the
United States Surveyor Generals office in Tucson
spending his vacation at his old home in Geor-
gia for copies ol Georgia papers containing an adj
dress Of Judge Speer delivered ut the University OF
Georgin, Il week or ten days ago. In his speech
Judge Speer entered into discussion of the princi
pie aud practice of industrial consolidation.
In view" he snid, ''of the conclusive demonstra-
ton of American industrial supremacy, in view OF
the enormous balance of trade in favor with for
eign lands, is it not we'll for the American people
to consider calmly and we'll weigh whether
the general welfare is the retarded or promoted
by the concentration of capital and the consolidated
organization of great industries which coincident
with these enormous national accomplishments
The comprehensive perspicacious minds which have
planned multitudcs of industrial combinations oil
the greatest magnitude have apparently little leisure
to write speak these topics, but some OF them
undou bedly possess astonishing capacity. Is it moi
we'll for the American people to inquire more care
fully and reflect more profoundly with regard to the
effect of these mighty consultations? Are we no
too easily driven to conclusions by partisan articles
or by the speeches of politicians for purposeT
Judge Speer is apparently impressed with th'
idea that the opponents of industrial consolidation
have taken snap Judgment that they have arrived
at certain hasty conclusions without troubling them
selves to inquire into the facts Hence he pleads TO
careful consideration of the work of our grea
captains of industry. Industrial combination is no
new thing, although it has not been in existenc
long enough to justify final judgment as to wheth
er it is an unmxed evil or whether it is blending O
good and evil. 1t is not reasonable to assume tina
trusts are good things because they have been in
strumenta in establishing America industrial su
premacy" and because there is IAN enormous balanc
of trade in our favor with foreign lands" 1t vii
not profit the American consumer If the Unite'
States is industrally supreme and the products O
mills and factories sold in great quantities il
foreign lands if this supremacy is maintained at hi
expense and if the balance of trade in our favor
obtained by discrimination in favor of the foreigner
The American people on the whole are generous ant
kind hearted. but it is not in human nature for an
people to uphold economic system which exclude
them from benefits which extended TO all othe
nations. They must get fair share of the blessing
of industrial combination il they to be owe
to support the practices o. the comprehensive an
cancellations of capital At present it seems tha
these comprehensive and perspcacious minds
were werking chiefly for their own profit and for tn
benefit Of the foreigner. Our captains Of indusr
must "tote fair" before they ask public approval
Judge speer is not only philosophical fren
OF the trusts, but he is also an enthusiastic expar
sionist. "For hundred years." he says, 'blind me
have been quarreling with our national destiny c
with Divine Providence The "blind men" of th
generation who opposed the acquisition of remot
territory by the United States have been routed an
confonnded Nevertheless says Judge Speer ''bt
lated Americans even now bawng anathemas
the Supreme Court of the United States .Judp
Speer overlooks the fact that this august tribuu,
was divided on the subject OF our foreign possession
that one OF the Justices who concurred in the COZ
cinsions set forth in the majority decision pointe
out the Inconsistencies in the reasoning OF his fellow
justices, while the four dissenting justices
spoken in condemning the principles which the otl
or i've Justices upheld. With the Court almost evel
ly divided the question is it strange that the pu
lie should not have been unanimous in accepting tt
Courts conclusionsp Yet there was little "bawlinl
on tho part of those who adopted the views of Il
dissenting justices. With few exceptions the cou
ments were temperate and dgni6ed. As rule Il
people were more amazed than aggrieved at Il
Courts reasoning.
Judge Speer holds life position on the benc
He thinks therefore that he can afford to quar-
with ths best thought and intellect of the southel
people But thepeople Of the South were never ca
ried away by an appeal to their sel6shness The
stand for principles, even for the consistency of pr
cipls. Judge Speer 10 an able and discreet advoca
of tho Tfusts, but he cannot win the South to h
views.