Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-14
Boom Launched Last Night
at National Theater.
ANTITRUST MEETIN G
SPEAKERS DENOUNCE CoMBINA-
TIoNs AN ExToLL CANDIDATE.
Addresses by Representatives in Con-
gress and Others-Wm. M. Spring
er's Message.

Before an audience that packed the Ma
tional Theater last evening the presidential
boom of Mr.. William Randolph Hearst of
New York, newspaper man and representa-
tive in Congress, was formally launched.
The audience was enthusiastic, and the
name of Hearst was cheered loudly.
The principal speakers were Henry
George, son of the late famous apostle of
single tax, and Francis E. Shober, news
paper man, who was chosen a representa-
tive in Congress at the last election. Others
who spoke were Representative c. d. Van
Duzer of Nevada, Robert s. Sharin and
Owen ]. Kindelon.
The meeting was held under the auspices
of organized labor and heralded as an
antitrust meeting Prof. Haleys Band
discoursed music in front of the theater
and played a number of selections within,
which had a tendency to keep the audience
in good fettle.
Representative Shober made his initial
bow to Washington audience and showed
conclusively that he has the requisites or
a good speaker. In part he said;
THE danger which threatens our coun-
try from the growing power of the trusts
is not an imaginary one-it is real danger
Let no man deceive you on this point. We
do not cry to you wolf, wolff when there
is no wolf. The wolf. or rather wolves,
are here at your very doors, growing,
srarhng and fighting for your very hfe's
blood.
rs 1t not menace and a danger when
a combination of a few men with much
money can control the production of a
mighty country like this? Is 1t not
menace and a danger when they can say
to the farmer: Thus much shalt thou plant
in the ground and reap therefrom, but no
more. Thou shalt have thus many acres
of corn or of wheat or of cotton-no more.
o,,1, do tI,ny-
say this. but they tell him just what price
he shall receive.
rs it not a menace and a danger to
free institutions when little combination
of men can say to the ironworker, the cot
ton weaver the clothing maker, yea, to all
the industries: Thus much work shalt
thou do-thus much mayest thou produce
and no more?'
ger to you and to your families when they
can say: Thus much shalt thou pay for
thy bread and thy meat and thy drink
thou shalt starve.'
And vet they say 1t and they do it, re-
gardless of the meager price paid to the
farmer the stinted wage paid to you.
And is it not real menace and a real
danger when, though there are laws de-
signed to prevent these combinations and
conspiracies and to punish those guilty of
forming them, yet the party in power re-
fuses to act. winks at wrongdoing and con-
hives at robbery. The very foundations
OF our government are tHTedleneu-tne III
situations we have revered and loved are
menaced-the life blood of our nation is
being sapped-there is danger, real, tangi-
BILE. terrifying. The wolves, my friends,
the wolves are at your doors.
Suggests Remedy.
rs there no remedy-is there no relief?
Like the voice of one crying in the wilder
ness comes the answer, Repent-stop voting
for the party which has nurtured and fos-
tered and protected the trusts. By your
ballots let the principles of Jefferson once
more prevail; by your votes bring again
into being that doctrine of the immortal
patriot. that the people and not the rich
are our dependence for continual freedom
"All great reforms must have a leader,
and particularly so under our institutions.
Who shall lead us in this battle against the
trusts? Who is the best qualified to en-
thuSe the people in our cause. to harmoniZe
our differences. to strengthen our weak
nesses, and at the polls bring success in
no uncertain majority? l name, and be-
lieve YOU will agree, that the man who fills
all these requirements Is that distinguished
editor, that loyal patriot that stalwart
democrat and friend of labor. William Ran
dolph Hearst
He is distinctly a man of the people
Born to wealth and reared in the lap of
luxury he might have chosen a butterfly
existence and led the life of gilded youth
SO many family scions do. Instead of this
Mr.. Hearst elected to be a worker in this
work-a-day world of ours. He looked upon
life seriously and began it with purpose
That purpos4 was and is the cause of the
people. For more than twenty years he has
made the peoples cause his cause. His
ord shows this. not only in the far west
but on the Atlantic coast we'll. A dis
ciple of the immortal Jefferson, he believes
that the true happiness, contentment and
future prosperity of our land lies in uphold
ing the peoples cause and safeguarding The
peoples rights.
I'VE have met here tonight in a common
pai 1ct a
shoulders above any other leader in this
cause and against this enemy stands Will
lam Randolph Hearst. He is foe to trusts
and single handed has fought them in the
peoples interests. Like ST George who
fought the mighty dragon. Hearst has
fought that monster coal trust which delib-
erately and in cold blood took the people
by the throat, and despite the groans of
men, the cries of women and the tears of
little children. shook from their pockets
their hard-earned money, even to the last
penny.
North. south, east and west the people are
turning toward him. Labor organizations
all over the country hail him, acclaim
ing him. From New York l bring you
cheering news. The Greater New York
Hearst League already numbering several
hundred separate clubs is growing every
day. In the state the voters are turning to
him as to no one else to lead them to vic
tory
Steel and Coal Trusts.
Henry George discussed the steel trust
and the coal trust, He drew picture be-
tween Mr. Carnegie. with his holding of
$3o0ooo0Oo of stocks and bonds and the
average wage-earner. who receives less
than $500 year He showed that 1t would
take 100000 years for the average man to
earn the amount of this single holding in
the steel trust.
rs not this trust question a question of
the perpetuity of this republic?" Mr.. George
asked in dramatic tones. 1T seems to
me-" he continued, that every man and
woman here tonight should take the ques-
ton to himself or herself; for If we are to
save the country from the inroads of privi-
lege we must destroy the trusts, or the
trusts will send the country to damnation
and destruction"
Mr. r. S. Tharin, counsel for the Anti
Trust League made an impassioned argu-
ment In favor of grand Industrial confer
ence, to be composed of delegates from
every labor union and trade orga MIA tion
TO formulate a declaration of principles that
would result in the overthrow of the
present misrule OF the country"
Mr.. Owen J. Kindelon of New York spoke
feelingly of the loss laboring men had ex-
perienced in the death of Amos j. Cum
mings, whom he chara cterized as the work
tngmen's ideal of what true representa-
tive of labor should be. As did Represen-