Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-09-17

CHICAGO, September 16.-Central
Music Hall, the cen of the civic fed
Grafton conference of trusts and COM
binations, the last session of which was
held tonight, was packed from pit to
gallery to-day when w. j. Bryan de-
livered his reply to w Bourke Cock
ran on the trust question.
1t was reported that Mr.. Bryan had
a set of resolutions up his sleeve, pre-
sumably ~antagonistic to trusts, as
they now exist. But the Nebraskan de-
MED this when seen by a representa-
tive of the Associated Press.
Mr.. Bryan was introduced by Gov.
Stanley, of Kansas, who acted as chair
man of the opening session. Wild
applause greeted the Nebraskan. w.
Bourke Cochran listening i~ntently and
joined frequently in the applause. Mr..
Bryan spoke in part as follows:
Within two years more trusts have
been organized than in the previous
history of the country, and the people
now come face to face with this ques-
ton: rs the trust a blessing or a
curse? If a curse, what remedy can
be applied to the cursor"
Monopoly in private hands is indie
feasible from any standpoint and in
tolerable. l do not divide monopolies.
There can be no good monopoly in
private hands until the Almighty sends
US angels to preside over us.
There may be a despot who is better
than another despot, but there is no
good despotism. The defense of the
monopoly is always placed on the
ground that if you will allow people
to control the market and fix the price
they will be good to the people who
purchase Of them. The entire defense
of the trusts rests upon a money argu-
ment. If the trust will sell an article
for a dollar less than the article will
cost under other conditions, then in the
opinion of some that proves a trust to
be a good thing. In the first place |
deny that under a monopoly the price
will be reduced. In the second place,
if under a monopoly the price is re-
duced, the objections to a monopoly
from other st~andpoints far outweigh the
financial advantage that the trust
would bring.
But | protest against settling every
question upon the dollar argument. In
the early years Of Lincoln's admins
ration he sent a message to Congress
warning his countrymen against the ap-
proach of monarchy. He said he saw
in the attempt to put capital ever upon
structure of government, the approach
of monarchy. Lincoln was right. When
ever you put capital upon an equal
footing with labor, or above labor, in
the structure of government, you are
on the road to aid a government that
rests not upon reason, but upon force.
Nothing is more important than
that we shall, in the beginning rightly
understand the relation between mon
ey and man. Man is the creature OF
God and money is the servant of man.
and l protest against all theories that
enthrone money and debase mankind.
If you will so about over the coun-
try you viii see where people have sub
scribed money to establish enterprises,
and where those enterprises, having
come under the control of the trusts,
have been closed up and stand now as
silent monuments to the wisdom of
the trust system. In case of local
strikes and fires, the work goes on else
where, thus preventing serious loss.
When a branch of industry is entire
~ in the hands of one great monopoly,
so that every skilled man in that in
dustry has to go to the one man for
employment, to that one man that will
fix wages as he pleaseS, the laboring
men will then share the suffering or
the mar who sells the raw materials.
Il want to warn you that when the
monopoly has absolute control brains
will be at a discount. We have not
had yet a taste of a complete trust.
But when the trust has rid itself of all
competitors what is going to be the
result? My friends, all you have TO
know is human nature. God made men
selfish.
"On the farm we used to protect prop
erty from the hogs by putting rings in
their noses. Why? So that while they
We're getting fat they would not de-
stroy more than they were worth.
One of the great purposes of govern
meEt is to put rings in the noses of
hogs. If | were going to try TO find
the root of the monopoly evil | would 60
back to the Bible for an explanation
and | would find it in the declaration
that the love of money is the root of
all evil.
Falling prices. caused by a rising dol
lar, and the high tariff, have contrib
uted the desire to secure the fruits of
monopoly.
Some have suggested that to put
everything on the free list that trusts
make would destroy the trusts. But
DO not believe that you could destroy
all trusts by putting all trust made
articles on the free list. because If an
article can be produced in this country
as cheaRly as 1t a be produced
abroad, the trust could exist with