Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-09-02
Rev. DR.. Abbott Says it is Time for
Light, Not Heat.
GoMPERs CoMMENDs THE IDEA
All interests to Be Represented ant
Present Their Views.
JOHN MITCHELL TO BE PRESENT
scores of Letters Received by Civic
Federation, which is Promoting
the Meeting, Promising
Attendance.

NEW YORK, Sept. 1.-That the National
Conference on Trusts and Combinations,
which is TO be held in Chicago in October.
will create unusual interest already is ap-
parent Scores of letters from men prom
inent in the various pursuits have been re-
ceived by the National Civic federation,
under whose auspices the conference is to
be held. Almost without exception the ex-
pressions of the writer's are highly COM
mandatory, and the opinion that great good
will result from the exchange OF ideas ap-
pears to be general Among those who
have written In this vein are the Rev. Dr.
Lyman Abbott, ID. D., editor of The Out
look; Samuel Gompers, president Of the
American Federation of Labor; Richard
Watson Glider, editor OF The Century; John
Mitchell. president of the United Mine
Workers of America: Judge Peter G.
Grosscup of Chicago. Bishop Henry c. Pot
ter, Charles G. Dawes, the Chicago banker;
John NJ. Stahl president of the Farmers
National congress- and Nahum ]. Bachel-
der. grand master Of the National Grange.
Time for Light.
Dr. Abbott in his letter, voices the SEN
timcnt which runs through all the COM
munications when he says: This is a time
when we need light. not heat" Nearly oil
the writer's believe that the greatest good
will come from the wide publicity which
will be given the trust question as a result
Of oren discussion by the leaders Of thought
who viii take part in the conference. ut
seems to me fundamentally true" writes
DR.. Abbott that the interests of the rail-
roads, the shippers and the general pub
lie are essentially one and that It is of
the utmost Importance that men represent
ing all these classes should get together,
compare views and endeavor to come to
sone agreement as to the general prin-
ciples by which these common interests can
be best served"
MIR. Glider believes that this talk will
help to bring calmness and GOODNESS to the
pubNH NHennd. and heaven knows 1t needs
thefmN Judge Grosscup says that 1t is full
time that the corporations (which have
grown. llp as developments of our business
life without much reference to their rela-
ton to the people as institutions Of and
for, the people, be looked into as instl-
tutions of, and for. the people" Bishop
Potter believes that by bringing the whole
subject OF the administration of corpora
tions into the light we may be assisted by
the best intelligence OF the land" in clear
ting up a subject concerning which there
is $50 much ignorance and so much curious
mlsapprehension."
Good In Discussion.
That the conference will be productive of
much good in that it will allow all sides
ia meet and freely express their opinions
on what he regards one of the greatest
subjects the country has to deal with
is the opinion of President Gompers. John
Mitchell also sees much possible good in
open and free discussion. Mr., Dawes re-
CARDS the calling OF the conference at this
time as a highly useful piece of work.
He believes that the Industrial problems
confronting the country today, demand
consideration by the best brains OF the
nation. The questions to be discussed at
the conference are declared by President
stahl of the Farmers congress to be "the
most important pressing for solution before
our people today" Grand Master Bachel-
1er, believes it is time "for serious people
% discuss the trust problem when President
Roosevelt and the law officers of the
government, whose duty 1t is to enforce
the Sherman antitrust act, openly say that
under 1t the business of the country can
not be done today without violating it,"