New-York tribune., 1911-12-17
KERN DISCUSSES TRUSTS
Tells Ho0SierS About Control of
Industry by 100 New Workers.
HIS VIEW OF STEEL TRUST
True Hoosier Label Can Be Used
Only by Those in Southern
Indiana, DR.. Wiley Says.

Senator John W. Kern. OF Indiana, I'm MS
address AZ the dinner OF the Indiana Soci-
sty. Al the Hotel Plaza last night. without
crticiSinS former President Roosevelt, said
that when he gave permission for the ah-
sorptior Of the Tennessee Coal and Iron
Company by the United states Steel Cor
porsuon. he knew perfectly well that this
meant the perfection Of the monopoly of
the Steel Trust. but that he bowed TO the
great power possessed by the men behind
the Steel corporation.
The people are alarmed at the great
rower Of small coterie of men, less than
one hundred here IN New York who control
sG the great industries and all the rail
roads" said Senator Kern. They realize
that this group OF men have the power to
rrecipitate financial panic, and they have
seen the pover Of these men exerted in leg
,slature. in Congress and in the popular
elections II was this power to which the
people objected and will object
The Senator said three years ago two
men Of this group went 20 President Roose-
velt and asked permission TO absorb their
greatest rival (the Tennessee Coal and Iron
Company. m direct violation Of the law.
This impudent demand. according to SEN
stc- Kern. was carefully timed with the
financial crisis through which the country
was passing ct that time. and was coupled
With the proposition that these men and
their associates would stop the panic in
the event OF securing that which they we're
after
This patriotic President, whose courage
has never been questioned" said Senator
Kern, understood the situation. He real
ized that the power Of these men was we'll
nigh infinite"
The diners were sons Of Indiana, and all
Of the speakers hailed from the same com
raonwealth. Each one Of them comes
fresh from our native soil" said James B.
Curtis. president OF the society and toast
master OF the occasion, and eaoh one OF
them may be said 10 be se'f-m7d" NOV.
having carved his own fortune and his
name high in the particular line when mas
received his attention" The speakers were
Or. Harvey ". Wiley, Senator John W.
Yern, Judge Edgar D. Crumpacker ana
Professor calvin N Kendall
Others at the speakers table were L. N
Bethel. ". IT. Wolverton, Joseph 7. ran
Wing, DR.. J. n. Hurry. president ol tne
Wealth Board OF Indiana, Frank BetneH'
Or. Robert Bruce Gentle, A. l. Chatheid'
Horace ?. HOrd. ". +. Ihurper' -. -
Rawlings and Harry Marks
Or. Wiley said that, though he was
rpecialist on Indianaitis,' he was 10 Dc
regarded as an expert only on the southern
rsrt Of the state as he believed that
those outside Of that portion could not
Justly claim the title Hoosier The true
Hoosiers. he said, were the emigrants from
Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee ana
Kentucky, strong Of body, honest OF heart
and endowed with a power of observation
and penetration which was little short OF
marvellous.
II was they who brought the Hoosier dia-
lect into the state, Mr. Wiley said, with the
Keen and incisive words that inspired Ed-
ward Ecgleston 10 formulate the funds-
mental principles Of Wall Street finance in
the terse expression, Them thet hez gifts
And not only did they thus see into the
intricacies of finance. but with equally
clear sight understood political and social
problems in which they lived.
The streams of French explorers minging
with ~rTc streams Of Puritans and Pill
crilns alone would not have produced any
more eminent citizens than they did in
other states whose population was com
posed Of the same elements, DR.. Wiley
said, but the addition of the Hoosier quail
tics could not fail to bring out the great
ness OF which Indiana was proud.