Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-13

| in service and the promotion of the pub
/ lie convenience and comfort. combira-
| tons and aggregations Of capital are
! right, and should be encouraged. When
! they bend their energies to the
| sitting of competition and undertake
! to become monopoIes they should be
| met and checked and must be. If our
! institutions are to be maintained and We
arc to remain free people.
AS one identified with trust company
and banking interests and with railroad
interests and as The chairman of the
Trust Company Section of the American
| Bankers Association, l say to you thai:
the power OF money ought to be re-
strained and the power OF corporations
properly controlled. believe that the
common sense of the American peop--
can be relied on to discern the danger
point and so draw the line there and an
nounce the edict hitherto shalt thou
come and no further. and here shall
thy proud waves be stayed
We are interested alike as taxpayers
as citizens, as workers. Those of us who
undertake to despoil our fellows to-day
may ourselves be the subjects of inius-
tice and the helpless victims OF some new
and mighty combination tomorrow. At
this moment it is charged that the com
mcrce and prosperity of the entire South
are threatened with the blight and the
oppression of vast railway associations.
which are attempting the placing OF the
control OF the entire s stem Of railway
transportation in the keeping of one man
or set Of men and at the mercy of one
interest. which may be guided by this
impulse or that-which may demand that
our business shall he developed or de-
pressed. Whilst it is pleasant to feel tina.
yond the reach Of any monopoly, yet it is
we'll for us 20 know that even this vast
power can be dealt with: and the people
may be trusted to deal with it. AS You
here and your neiGhbors above made
;evees and limits for the mighty MiSsis
sippi. and directed it into usefulness ana
restrained its ravaEes. so this power OF
capital can be checked and governed
and guided by the strength CT the people
Monopoly, oppressive or threatening to be
so, invites its own overthrow. No mar.
no trust. no accumulation of capital or
combination Of interests. however. stupen-
deus. can stand against the wrath O.
Justly grounded suspicion of the American.
people or against the organized resent
ment or resistance of any State of this
great Union.
Servants of the People.
The business of the corporation; of tne
trust company. of the bank OF ever,
combination of capital and brains and
enterprise. is to give the public goou
value for fair returns. The moment an.
OF us go beyond that and attempt to ex-
tort from tie public unjust tribute or
eNtravagant dividends or profit on un-
fairly inflated issues Of securities or tt
exercise unjust discrimination. we cease
to be businessmen and become high
way1nen. in fact. if not in law. When
We cease to become the servants anc
partners and associates of the people
from whom we draw our living. in return
for our investments Of money and eNpen.
diture of thought and energy. and under
take to be the ma STEERS of the people. ano
despots. demanding black1nal from them
We forfeit our claims to respect and
sympathy. and invite vengeance. We in
cite ignorance to seek redress by violence
and intellect to devise methods for our
destruction.
It is our duty to recognize our respon-
sihilites and obligations to the great pub
lie on which all of us depend for our
living, to respect its rights, to offer It