The San Francisco call., 1908-12-03
OPPOSES TRUST
INFLUENCES ON
THE AMERICANS
Charles S. Wheeler Cries Out
Against System Which Is
Just to Amass Dollars
Would See Each Man Working
0ut Destiny Instead of Mag
mates Controlling Situation
Wins Applause When He Says,
Give Us Back the Cottage
and the 10 Cent Grocery"

The trusts formed the topic Of dis
cussion at the annual banquet of the
Merchants association held last night
in the white and gold room of the Fair
mont hotel. Long tables stretched
across the hall and accommodated 500
members Of the organization and a
large number of invited guests Presi-
dent Andrew N. Davis opened the
speech making with a few graceful re-
marks calling for harmony in civic
Affairs and q more conciliatory spirit
He announced that plans had been
made for smokers to be given by the
association during the year. Seated on
either side Of Davis were Mayor Taylor
and United States Attorney Robert t.
Devlin.
The subject Of the trusts was treated
in detail by three speakers: Frank L.
Brown OF the fiscal agency of Brown &
Wilson. who addressed himself to the
topic The Benefits Derived From
Great Business Combinations" Charles
s Wheeler, who chose the subject,
What Combinations Are Lawful Under
the Sherman and Cartwright Acts" and
Robert T. Devlin. who discussed The
Development Of the Trust and the Atti-
tude Of the Government Toward It,"
TOOK OPPOSING VIEWS
Brown and Wheeler took opposing
views Of the question and Devlin dis
cussed. the laws and showed what the
government had done toward restrain
ing unlawful combinations.
Brown sketehed the growth of the
trust idea. showing how it had devei-
oped from the individual through the
company, the corporation and the com
bination.
1t used TO be said" declared Brown.
that competition was the life Of trade.
but changed conditions have made it
appear that cooperation is the life of
trade"
The speaker argued that the central
ization Of business made for economy
and greater efficiency, and proceeded to
explain that the number OF stock hold
ers IN these trusts had greatly ex-
panded during the past few years
Brown pointed out that a merger had
already been effected in California in
the wine and oil trade. He predicted
that similar conditions would obtain
before long in the lumber and cement
business
INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES
Wheeler aroused great enthusiasm in
his reply when he declared. Give US
back the cottage and the 10 cent
grocery" He argued that the individual
liberties nf
at stake, and deprecated the morality
which measured all things in dollars
and cents
1T is. often the case" said Wheeler.
that such large gatherings as this
can be divided into two great divisions;
. the one containing the violators OF the
Sherman act, and the other the viola
tors OF the Cartwright law" He then
proceeded 10 give what he called "a
little straight talk from the shoulder.
heart to heart American talk"
Rather would 1 see" he declared,
10000 Americans working out their
own destiny than 10 trust maRnates
working out the destinies of 10000
men. There may be more dollars to
be made out Of the other system, but
then we can make more dollars in a
kingdom than in & republic. Why not,
then, have a king? When we learn
that there are things in this world
better than riches then America will
work out her salvation
NOT An ANARCHIST
i am not an anarchist" he contin-
ued t'but ] live in a country which has
as Its fundamental principle that the
majority shall rule. 1 propose. if the
laws are on the statute books, whether
they accord with my views or not. to
obey them. We have had enough Of
law bres king"
Devlin sketched the history of anti
trust legislation. reading laws Of an
cient times forbidding the formation
OF nonopolies. He then told of the
prosecutions instituted by the govern
naent, stating that 1t had been the
policy Of the administration to insist
upon a fearless enforcement of the
law