Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-09-20

| do so. and / could not help but think
of line of song while the gentleman
was speaking and while he was dis
GUESSING every possible remedy sug-
| gested, yet presented no other. /
thought of that rythm:
Plunged in gulf Of deep despair.
Ye wretched sinners lie
(Great laughter and applause).
| II have no doubt that any remedy
/ that is proposed will be assaulted. II
| those who believe that the trust must
remain, and those who believe that the
| trust means good, will accept the best
remedy they can find, try it and then
/ accept a. better one if a better one is
proposed, and keep on trying until the
people are protected. (Applause). The
| gentleman suggests that it is a difficult
| thing to get two-thirds of both houses
| to favor amendment and three-fourths
of the States. That is true, it is diff
/ cult thing, but if the people want to
destroy the trusts you can get two
| thirds of both houses and three-fourths
of the States. But what is the alter
native? Sit down and do nothinge
Allow them to trample upon you and
ride rough-shod over you, and then
thank God that you still have some life
| left? Is that the only remedy?
The American people are entitled to
the best that there is. (Applause).
/! They are entitled to the best system
on every subject. | believe that when
/ these questions are presenSad to the
| American people they will select and
secure the best system. l have only
suggested a plan. 1t may not be the
best plan. If you have anything better,
propose it. If there is any amendment
that you can think of that will improve
it, suggest it. I am anxious to accept
anything.
Let me suggest one other thing that
l believe will be step in the right d.
Hection. The great trouble has been
that while our platforms denounce cor
porations, corporations control the cleo
lions and place under obligation to
! them the men who are elected to en-
force the law. (Applause).
Let me. propose a remedy-not a
| remedy, but step, I think. in the
right direction. Let the laws, State and
national make penal offense for any
| corporation TO contribute to the cam
| paign fund of any political party
| Continued cheers and apDlause.) Ne
| braska has such law, passed two
| years ago. Tennessee has such law,
! passed two years ago. Such q law was
| passed, or was introduced in the State
| CT New York. but so far it has not
reached the stage of actual law in the
State of New York. (Laughter) Now,
/ believe it is a step in the right direc-
| ton. You remember the testimony
! taken before a Senate committee a few
| vars ago when the head of the Sugar
| Trust testified that the Sugar Trust
| made it its business to contribute to
| campaign funds; and when asked to
which one it contributed, replied that
! it depended upon circumstances.
"'To which fund do you contribute in
| Massachusetts" was asked. To the
| Republican fund TO which fund in
New York; To the Democratic fund
! To which fund in New Jersey?' and
| the man says: We'll, l will have TO
| lock at the books. that is a doubtful
State Continued laughter and ap-
| plause.)
! Now, that is almost literal repro
duction Of the testimony of one great
corporation on the subject Of campaign
| contribution. l don't mean to say that
| but I believe that when you prevent a
! corporation from contributing to
| campaign fund that you take a step in
! the right direction toward better legis-
| lation, because some corporations are
| compelled to contribute; they are
| bleckmailed into contributions, and
such law would protect corporations
/ that did not want to contribute. If
! the people are in earnest, they can do
| it and you never could Go anything in
| this country until the people are in
, earnest and when the American people
| understand what the monopoly guess
! ton means | believe that there will be
no power, political, financial or other
wise, to prevent the people from taking
| possession OF every branch of govern
ment, from President to the Supreme
| Court, and making the government re-
sponsible to the peoples will" CHEERS
and applause. }
| AT the conclusion of Col. Bryan's adj
| dress, Bourke Cochran arose and start
| I'd to speak from his seat in the hall,
but in response to cheering and calls
! to take the platform, he, too, complied.
Mr.. Cochran said in part:
Just one moment while | express
my complete concurrence in much that
Mr.. Bryan has said:
IF there be a monopoly that op-
presses, l believe that there is no con-
stitutional limitation, there is no pro-
vision Of government, there is no power
on earth against the people redressing
a wrong when it becomes a wron5.
"The question to which l think the
attention OF this conference shoull be
directed is whether this one exists and
where it is. Now. who is hurt and
where? Where has this octopus got
possession of somebody? On whom is
it acting? Where is its lair? We have
had here representatives. of labor or
CARNATIONS who have been telling us
that wages are higher today than they
have ever been Certainly they do not
seem TO suffer. We are told that it is
not the dollar that we want. but We
| want the man. Well, what is the pur-
pose OF the dollar if not to improve
the condition of the man? (laughter.)
IF you want competition must not
/ somebody succeed in it? viii you
suppress the man because he excels
another so far that he constitutes
| monopoly? Are you going to place
limits upon excellency?"
Now, Mr.. Morgan has called atten-
ton to the relations between employer
and employee.
You ask me what the functions of
10 hN4. 7 81 x-Nr5 RI,