Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1899-09-21
BoURKE COCHRAN SPOKE.
The New Yorker Entertained the Chicago
Meeting with a Few Pointers About
Trusts-Labor Leaders Represented.

Meeting With a Few Pointers about
Trusts-Labor Leaders Represented
Chicago. Sept. 6.-Workingmen, So
cialists, advocates of the single tax
theory and students of political econ
omy were heard yesterday morning at
the Civic federation on trusts and COM
binations held here. A majority of the
speakers spoke in vigorous opposition
to industrial, financial and transporta-
ton com binations. The problem in its
relation to the workingman was dis
cussed.
John W. Hayes, secretary of the
Knights of Labor, was the first to
speak. In part he said:
maintain that these great combinations are
an assault upon the inherent and constitutional
rights of the citiZonS that the real and vital
advantage to be gained is the deSpot1c control
over labor. Violence is not the only means Of
making conquests and enslaVing the people and
it can be proven beyond any question that the
methods of the invader and the objects to be
accomplished by the instigators OF the trusts
are exactly those intended to be accomplished
by arms directed by military genius.
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, fol-
lowed Secretary Hayes. He said in
part:
It has been said that organized labor is a
trust, and I want to say in connection with this
that to our minds that is absolute missioner.
Organized labor throws open its doors to all
who work for wages. and asks them to come in
and share in the benefits. You cannot break
into trust.
Though disappointed in failing to see
such a spectacle as Bryan and Cochran
pitted against each other the audience
nevertheless enjoyed rare treat as
Mr.. Cochran was at his best and his
speech was punctuated with frequent
and prolonged applause. He said in
part:
No fines, no judicial rebukes, no denunciation
from platforms no legislative enactnentS de-
claring things are reprehensive will touch the
subject but specific enactment that special
rate granted to anyone not enjoyed by the others
is felony, and proper means to punish 1t Will
do something towards checking it, and my
friends, this is not my inconSiderate statement,
it is crime of the first magnitude. The public
official in the control of any great public fran
chiSe who gives to one man opportunities at the
expense of the other, robs that other party if
not of the property in his possession, the oppor-
tunity to acquire property. Now, with n statute
authorizing and making it right of every ship
per, of every person using public franchise to
have disclosed to him at any time every con-
tract and agreement made with any other per-
son you will! find there will be little difficulty
about avoiding the enforcement of the penal
statute, for it will not be transgresSed. We
want a simple statute of publicity and believe
that will check the special favorS.
While am on the subject, think it wise to
advert what many call phenomenon-tha is
the public dislike and diStruSt or hatred of cor
porations. I don't share that hatred or dislike,
but understand it. don't think it is wholly
justified, yet I think an examination of the his
tory of corporation management will show some
justification. The hatred of corporations,
which, as I say, is not wholly justified, is not
discreditable to the public opinion of America.
In f1ct lay it down as cardinal rule, which
think any person can follow with perfect safety
that wherever you find a general opinion any
subject in America there is always a pretty
good ground for it. The distrust of corpora
tions arise not in my judgment from any well
considered dislike to corporate entities We
do not object to the principle of cooperation.
Corporate existence is the natural evolution OF
the partnership; it is scheme by which men,
strangers to each other can cooperate in pro-
duction, while partnership was scheme limited
to men who knew each other and were COM
PEELED to work together. But the management
of corporations has been the blacklist page in
all our history.
At the close of his speech the New
Yorker won the hearts of his listeners
by paying Mr.. Bryan few well-chosen
compliments, which the democratic
leader blushingly acknowledged. Mr..
Cochran il1ened Mr.. Bryan to a monop-
oily and claimed he was a bigger mo-
nopoly as the leader of the democratic
party than any financial corporation
in the world. Mr.. Cochran spoke for
about two hours.