The evening times., 1899-05-26
The 81. Louis Conference.

| AhN vi the DeuOcTdttc Ma
tional Committee at st. Louis yesterday
was in the nature of a preliminary meet
| ing, and no definite conclusions were
| reached as to issues or a campaign policy.
The committee is to meet again, in Chi
| cago. July 20. when it is expected that
| these matters will be settled.
But the conversation of the leaders pres
| ent and the speeches at the evening ban
| quet. at which fourteen hundred and ffty
Democrats partook of sustenance In the
| presence of a large and enthusiastic audi
enee, afford some light on the general drift
OF sentiment among those who will run the.
| machine until the assembling of the next
National Convention. 1t seems evident that
trusts Will be made leading issue, and
that there are some among the committee
who would like to make it the paramount
one. II is needless to say that Mr.. Bryan,
who attended as proxy for an absent MEM
ber. is not to be counted among these He
said: II am sure OF one thing and that is
that silver cannot be relegated out of sight
1t is an issue that has come to stay, ard
the people will not allow it to be j,ut in
the background"
The banquet was an antitrust affair. and
for that occasion Mr.. Bryan allowed his
favorite issue to take subordinate place
But he made up for it in a fierce attack
upon monopolies, in the course of which
he said:
More trusts have been formed the last two wears
than existed at the beginning OF this Adninistra-
tion. and their nominal Capitalization approaches
in amount the worlds supply of gold and silver
The influence of these trusts has become SO enor
nous that the people are asking themselves how
the evil can be rcInedied. Ii the trusts are per
mtted to continue we shall find industrial
aristociacy growing up in the United States
The principle of monopoly is incompatible with
our institutions. 1t has been said that the power
to tax is power 10 destroy. monopoly pos
sesscs the power to levy assessments as it will
upon the purchaser, and We cannot permit such
u power 10 he exercised by private individuals
The Government would he guilty of gross neg
lect if ii permitted an individual to secure a mo-
nopoly. even without legislative assistance but
il is still cupahle if il furnishes the means
by which monopoly is secured. The corpora
tion is the means employed by those who seek |
to secure monopoly. Since the corporation is |
fictitious person. created by law the power that |
creates can regulate or annihilate. |
One difficulty encountered in opposing trusts
Is that the trust hides behind the Federal Con-
''itution when attacked by State legislation and
shields itself hchind its State charter when at /
idChtu III lnt feuPfai NO remedy Will he |
complete that is not coeNtensive with the Fed.
sral Government.
Just now people startled by the principles
,f monopoly as it manifests itself in the indus
trial trust. The principle. however, is the same
is that which nanfests itself in the effort of the
NATIONAL bankers TO secure monopoly of iie issue
,f paper money. some who recognize the evils
hat How from soap trust Indifferent to
he dangers that attend the formation OF A paper
money trust.
The principle Of monopoly also underles The
'rusade against silver a standard money The
standard money trust is not only the parent trust !
,ut il il in the hands of foreigners
The Republican party is impotent TO DESTROY
he trusts. II is controlled by those who are in |
crested IN Trusts, and its campaign funds are
npplied b; the trusts Abraham Lincoln, in the
,eginning of his Presidential career. warned the |
ountry against the threatened attempt 10 nut
apital above labor in the structure OF the Gov
rnment. Modern Re1ub!icanism is fulfilling the
prophecy. Ii Is putting the dollar above the
nan. |
The Democratic party is opposed to the prin
iple OF monopoly wherever it manifcsts itself |
{ has declared war on the trists-not a little
rust only, but big trust rs well; not against
ne kind of trist only, but against all trusts.
1t is plain enough. not only from such
tterances as the foregoing, but from the
eneral trend of Democratic opinion, that
Jar upon trusts is likely to be the keynote,
not the keystone of the next campaign. I
combine that issue with honest money.
nd, other things being equal, the Democ- {
acy will have more than fighting chance
gainst its opponent But will the other
lings be equal? For an answer we may
ave to wait for the Chicago committee
leeting. or, possibly, for the convention
atform itself. The great hope and prayer
men like Hanna. Alger. Platt and their 5
Ike, is that the Democratic party. or at
ast its legislative body. may be bitten
ith paresis and commit the idiotic folly Of a
declaration against the time-honored doc !
inc Of national expansion. The Repub-
can leaders would be under no appre-
ension as to the outcome in 1900 If they
uld be sure OF that. and they will make
emseives sure Of 1t II that can be ac-
mpfished by the use Of the sound busf- ;.
'ss methods SO often applied to poiiti-