The San Francisco call., 1899-09-17
CLOSE OF THE CONFERENCE ON
USES AND ABUSES OF TRUSTS
William ]. Bryan Declares That Legislation Is
the Proper Remedy for Combinations.
Bourke Cockran's Second Address.

CHICAGO, Sept 16-The conference
on the uses and abuses of trusts
closed its session here to-day in a blaze
Of oratory in which Colonel William J.
Bryan and w. Bourl1e Cochran were
the central figures. Mr.. Cochran fol-
lowed the noted Nebraskan, but dis
claimed any intention of debating the
conclusions of his immediate predeces-
sor and declaring his complete con-
currence in much that Mr. Bryan had
said.
The Westerner had delivered the
speech Of the day during the forenoon
amid frequent Interruptions Of tumult-
uous applause. Mr.. Foulke of Indiana,
commenting on the speech, made asser-
tions which Mr.. Bryan desired further
to discuss. He was requested to take
the stage and complied, for the second
time facing a wildly enthusiastic house.
At the conclusion, Mr.. Cochran arose
and observed: Just few words"
The spectators wanted more and re-
fused TO subside until he had taken the
platform. He agreed with Mr.. Bryan,
he said, but he wanted information.
The crowd which greeted Colonel
Bryan when the doors were thrown
open amounted almost to mob. Cen
tral Music Hall was jammed from pit
TO gallery with admirers of the Ne
braskan. When he had concluded his
speech so per cent Of the audience de-
parted, leaving a few struggling spec
tatOrs to listen to the remaining speak
ers and the report of the committee
on resolution.
Ex-Governor Luce Of Michigan was
chairman of this committee and he rig
idly adhered to the resolutions passed
yesterday, in which it was resolved
that no resolutions giving the senti-
ment of the conference on the trust
problems should be presented or con-
sidered.
Der of the committee, declared that he
had spoken with Colonel Bryan, and
that the latter had given it as his opin
ion that the nature Of the conference
made resolutions expressive of senti-
ment on the problem out Of place. He
proposed that to the original reSolu-
tions be added something to the effect
that the conference had been of bene
fit to the delegates. had cleared their
minds of many doubts and enlightened
their understanding. These suggestions
were not considered.
The decision of the committee as
submitted in Chairman Luce's report
was unanimously adopted, as was a
motion put before the house thanking
the Civic Federation for its entertain
ment of the delegates.
Other speakers during the day were
]. H. Raymond G.. w. Northrup Jr..
Professor David Kinley T. B. Walker,
W. w. Howe, ex-senator Blair Of New
Hampshire, Attorney General 7. S.
Smith of Texas, J. B. Dill, A. Copeland,
w. D. Foulke, while many others took
in, ba which closed the
conference.
It was decided that those who had
prepared speeches, but had not been al
lowed owing to the limitation Of the
programme, to read them, should de-
liver them into the hands Of Secretary
Easley 10 be published in book form,
together with those which had been de-
livered. from the stage.
In his principal speech during the
morning session, Mr.. Bryan said:
The trust question has grown in i'm
portance. Within the past two years more
trusts have been organized than were
organized in all the previous history of
the country, and the people now come
face to face with this question, Is the
trust a blessing or q curse? II a curse,
what remedy can be applied to the
curse? I want to start with the declar>
alton that monopoly in private hands is
indefensible from any standpoint and
intolerable. One trust may be less harm
be more benevolent than another; but
there is no good monopoly in private
hands, and l do not believe it is safe for
society TO permit any man or group Of
men to monopolize any article of mer-
chandise or any branch of business.
The defense of the monopoly is always
placed on the ground that If you will
allow people 10 control the market and
pie who purchase of them. The entire de-
fense of the trusts rests upon money
argument.
istration he sent a message to Congress,
and in that message he warned his coun-
trymen against the approach of monarchy.
He said 1t was the attempt TO put capital
upon an equal footing with, If not above,
labor in the structure of government, and
in that attempt he saw the approach of
monarchy. Lincoln was right. Whenever
you put capital on an equal footing with
labor, or above labor, in the structure of
government you are on the road TO aid
Ing a government that rests not upon
reason, but upon force.
Nothing is more important than that we
shall, in the baginning, rightly under
stand the relation between money and
man. What IS the purpose of trusts or
the monopoly? For when / use the word
trust use it in the sense that the word
means monopoly; and what is the pur-
pose of monopoly?
The first advantage of monopoly is to
lower the price of the raw material fur
nished by the people to that combination.
The next thing is, after you have bought
up all the factories, to close part Of
them and turn out Of employment the
men who are engaged in them, and If you
will look over the country you will see
where those enterprises, having come
under the control of the trusts have been
closed up and stand now silent monu-
ments to the wisdom of the trust system
We must recognize selfishness, and We
must so make our laws that people shall
not be permitted to trespass upon the
rights of others In their efforts to secure
advantages for themselves. l believe that
society is interested in the Independence
Of every citizen. Society is interested in
this, because If a man dies and leaves no
provision for his wife and children the
burden falls upon society.
| believe that the principle Of monopoly
finds its inspiration in the desire of men
to secure by monopoly what they cannot
secure in the open field Of competition.
Another thing that, to my judgment. has
aided monopoly is a high tariff. Nobody
can dispute that a tariff law, import duty,
enables a trust to charge for It's product
the price of a similar foreign product
plus the tariff.
Now, some have suggested that to put
everything on the free lists that trusts
make would destroy the trusts. / do not
agree with this statement as it is made so
broadly I believe that the high tariff has