The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-26

say that the government is impotent
to prevent the organization of trusts is
to say that it has called into existence
fictitious person and that the fictitious
person created has become greater than
the creator.
'One of the difficulties which has been
encountered in opposing trusts is that
the trust hides behind the federal con-
Sutut1on when attacked by state legis-
lat1on and shields itself behind its state
charter when attacked in the federal
courts. No remedy will be complete
that is not co-extenSive with the federal
government. If the extinguiShment of
the trusts is left to state legislation the
public at large will be Victimized as
long as a single state will furnish a
robbers rOOst where the spoils collect
ed in other states can be divided.
Just now people are startled by the
principle of monopoly as it manifest
itself in the industrial trust, and we'll
may they be startled.
The principle. however. is the same
as that which manifest itself in the eff
forts of the national bankers to secure
a monopoly of the issue of paper mon
ey.
THE greenback is a rival of the bank
note and its presence is a constant
menace to the banks of issue. Some
who recognize the evils that flow from
a soap trust seem Indifferent to the
dangers that attend the formation of
paper money trust.
THE principle of monopoly not only
lies at the foundation of the attempt
to destroy the greenbacks, but it is the
controlling principle that .underlies the
crusade against silver as a standard
money. Between 1850 and 1850, when
the production of gold was increasing
and the production of silver was small,
three nations demonetiZed gold and
gave to silver a monopoly of mint priv
ilegeS Early in the 70S the financeerS
became alarmed at the increased pro-
duction of silver. and conspired to de-
stroy silver as standard money and
give a monopoly to gold, the produc-
ton of which at that time was station
airy.
The standard money trust is not
only the parent trust, but is in the
hahds of foreigners.
THE Republican party is impotent to
destroy the trusts. 1t is controlled by
those who are interested in trusts, and
its campaign funds and sinews of war
are supplied by the trusts The policy
for which it now stands disregardS the
interests of the producers of wealth
and give money a consideration which
is denied the individual. Abraham Lin
coin, in the very beginning of his pres
idential career, warned the country
against the threatened attempt to put
capital above labor in the structure of
the government. Modern ublieanism
is fulfilling the prophecy made by Lin
coin, it is putting the dollar above the
man.
THE Democratic party is opposed to
the principle of monopoly, wherever it
manifests itself. 1t has declared war
on the trusts. Not little trust. only,
but big trust as well, not against one
kind of trust only, but against all
trusts"
Mr.. Bryan. although he devoted the
greater part of his address to the trusts
touched briefly upon the silver ques
ton, declaring that it was an issue that
must be met. The Republicans being
pledged to the gold standard, he said,
were opposed to silver because it meant
the giving up of the standard which
they had adopted.
He then returned to the attack upon
the trusts, which he accused of lack of
good faith toward the people. "A rich
man." he declared, who pays his taxes
is as much of a patriot any man
who swims a river or who climbed up
San Juan HILL
Following Mr.. Bryan came o. H. p.
Belmont of New York, who in the open
ing sentence of his speech declared
himself as in favor of the election of
Bryan as the Democratic nominee in
1900. He then returned to the foe of the
evening-the trusts-and hunted them
vigorously, declaring them the off shoot
of the policy pursued by the Republic
can party during the last 20 years.