The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-20
V.LpIN, LATE TRUST BUSTER
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT A
srpPFyDER To THE OCTOPUS
u,,oss Rattle TO Crush weak Competitors
the General Is Now Accused Of Fighting
-Rut Two Years Ago lie Was Fighting
,,s Monster on Every Fence Rail-.

,ns General Is Now Accused Of Fighting
HUT Two Years AGO lie Was Fighting
the Monster on Every Fence Rail.
ubsn trust busters get into trusts them
oslyes they always manage to be very
ro,iet about the iniquities OF capital. They
hocome the most impatient Of all at the rail-
nns ~ other trust busters who are still try
,n ;, how their way into the big corpora
,iars and are very often the leaders in move-
,oor., watch are described by outsiders as
hs;rv ,yr the sole purpose Of suppressing
competition
some amusing examples in recent years
NJ, the cases Of Senator Joe Bailey OF Texas,
,,ho has found in Texas oil balm for his
vo,ent opinions Of capital; Jim Ham Lewis,
,rhose interest in beet sugar has opened
his eyes to corporate virtues which he
no,or saw before. and the oratorical Charley
Tovnc ~ Minnesota, who has switched
,-om the Pops to oil g,shers since he was
in tbe United States Senate for few days
and is said to he doing well, and Col. Nose
Wetmorel
The stockholders suit against the Uni
,ersal Tobacco Company for the appoint
r,spt of receiver, a decision In which
Il now pending, has brought to light another
rsrormed trust buster in the person OF
Gen. Edwin A. McAlpin. Gen. McAlpin
;s not engaged just now in trust busting.
The Universal Tobacco Company con-
tends that he is trying to wreck that COM
,anv by his suit for the appointment OF
receiver when the company is in prosper
OILS condition, and that he is acting on be-
half of the American Tobacco Company,
commonly styled the Tobacco Trust
Whether that is true OF untrue, the posi-
,ion of Gen. McAlpin in the tobacco world
to-day is an amusing feature Of the bitter
war being waged between the trust and the
Universal company. Folks without very
lona memories recall that two years ago,
Gen. McAlpin, his high moral sense
shocked by the iniquitous combination
known az the American Tobacco Compan y
pIas,ered the town with advertisements
Of the goods manufactured by the company
founded by his father, d. Fl. McApin,
with the inscription mot made by the trust
printed across them.
From the Battery to Harlem, East Side
and West, up in The Bronx and all along
the country roads for hundred miles or
more in every direction from New York
city, the McAlpin ANTITRUST signs went
up There were such signs as mo goods
made by the trust I'VE handle nothing
made bv the trust mo connection with
the Tobacco Trust on fence rails, on the
sides of houses, on the advertising bill
boards and on tho circulars and pamphlets
sent broadcast throughout the city and
country.
The firm Of D. H. McAlpin 4 Co, was
an absolutely Independent company. 1t
was the biggest dealer in plug tobacco in
the country and made fortune for the
founder and his family. Gen. Edwin A
McAlpin succeeded to complete control Of
the business on the death Of his father, In
1901, and about that time the American
Tobacco Company began to spread its
business by taking In a number Of outside
companies and thus made certain other
dealers uncomfortable.
The American Tobacco Company became
known as the Tobacco Trust" and some
of the companies squeezed rallied nightly
against It. There was suspicion then
Ibst q great many of the most blatant Of
Nose who shouted at the injustice OF the
4 mbination had secretly tried TO sell out
2eir business TO the American Tobacco
V,mpany, but had been unable to do so.
he trust said that the real reason why il
tas abused so was because it didn't want
4 load itself up with u lot of companies
|vnich were half dead then, and only wanted
70 sell out because they knew they could
NOT withstand honest competition. There
we're other companies which were not
bought because too much moEeJ WAS asked
for them.
Gen. Edwin A. McAlpin's company wasn't
Ia hNrt h.A n1 ,nY
Edwin A. McAlpin proceeded 20 lambaste
the trust as described From time to time
there were r,lmors that the trust had COB
bled up the McAlpin business or was about
To Robble it up. Who started the rumors
never came out, but the McAlpin company
went ahead abusing the trust and remained
on the outside.
Next the Universal Tobacco Company
was formed to fight the American Tobacco
president. Mr.. Butler had been connected
with the trust so-called, but had quit after
a quarrel with President Duke. The new
company was the first formidable rival
the American Tobacco Company had. 1t
was something of trust itself, but coon
after it was formed Gen. McAlpln's name
appeared "a director. 1t turned out that
he was one OF the biggest stockholders in
the company.
1t was very big business In plug that
the McAlpn company was doing, and its
smagamation with the Universal Tobacco
Company would have made the latter
formidable rival indeed to the SO 600 900
American Tobacco Company. The posi-
hies in such combination might well
be looked upon with apprehension by the
American Tobacco Company.
Whether Gen. MoAlpin, the enemy Of
trusts, realized that by joining the Universal
Tobacco Company he was putting HIS private
business in position where, the American
high for it. higher than any one else could
afford 10 pay, or not, only Gen. McAlpin
can tell, But If Gen. McAlpin, who was
pounding" the Tobacco Trust from one
end of the country to the other, had wanted
to force tho trust to buy hun out he could
not have taken better way.
The result of Gen. MoAlpin'S connection
with the Universal company is best ex-
planned in he affidavit of William Fl Butler,
made before Vice-Chancellor Pitney in
Newark on Aug. 3, In opposition 10 the APP
plication Of the General for q receiver FOR
tho Universal company. The part OF tho
answer referring to Gen. McAlpin is al
follows:
The complainant, Edwin A. McAlpin. was
AZ one time director OF our company He,
with others Of hs family. inherited from his
and which was influential in the trade
believed that tho McAlpin business, in
connection with ours. could be restored to
ns former prestige, and 40 the directors OF
the company made Mr.. McAlpin one of their
number for the express purpose of procuring
The McAlpin business for us. He was aware
o. this After he became and while he con-
tlnued director of our. company, and while
We were negotiating with him for the pur;
chase Of tho McAlpin business, we discovered
Ihqt he had in fact sold that business to the
tobacco Trust. He used his position as a
0Mf To fhnrn al ni rnincr 10 fhnrn Tint