Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-07
BUST THE TRUSTS. "
THIS is LIKELY TO BE THE DEM.
OCRATlC SLOGAN.
Opinion at the t. Louis Banquet and
Conference Takes Shape for the
Coming Campaign Declared that
"Silver Can Watt"
st. Louis correspondence:

81. Louis correspondence:
Dust the trusts" is to be the Demo-
cratic war cry for 1900 if the happenings
of Thursday in st. Louis are u true index.
Hundreds of Democrats went to the
Mound City to talk shop, exchange views
and to feast at 50 per plate banquet on
the tanbark floor of the Coliseum. The
opinions expressed by these Democrats,
the confidential chats i'll hotel corridors,
the whispered confessions exchanged
when two politicians "buttonholed' each
other and the speeches by Democratic
orators mt the Coliseum were Antitrust"
Free silver is regarded as an issue that
can wait When free silver was mention
ed by the after dinner speakers the old
familiar words raised hearty cheers, but
the yell came when ''anti-trust" was call
ed up.
The bill of fare and program of speeches
at the dinner was labeled antitrust ban
quct.' The topics for the set speeches
were trusts and p,onopoles. Before
Champ Clark had finished his address the
Democrats around the tables took cour-
age and began TO say openly what they
had whispered during the day-that 'sil-
yer can wait; the Senate is gold for six
years, but we can win on the platform
bust the trusts"
The banquet was huge, unmistakable
success. Nearly 1000 men sat around the
tables, which were phalanXed in the arena
of the Coliseum. In the amphitheater
some 1900 women and men fingered to
see 1000 hungry Democrats eat and to
hear 1000 Democrats yell and shout when
William j. Bryan came into the place. An
overflow meeting was held in the audito-
rum of the Music Hall building. The
seating capacity of the Music Hall is
5000, and every seat was filled, the asles
We're jammed and the walls were banked
five deep with thoS, w.io found standing
room. II is estimated that 10000 people
heard Col. Bryan and the other speakers,
for the orators spoke in each place.
Enthusiasm was rampant in the Coli
scum Every man and woman in the huge
room had little flag, and the excited Hut
terngs of the tiny standards added mate
rally TO the picturesque character Of the
scene.
The speechmaking began with the ad.
dress of welcome by Harry B. Hawes. the
president of the Jefferson Club, under
whose auspices the banquet was given.
Champ Clark in presenting some banners
to district committees made brief but
characteristic address.
When MIR. Clark had finished the crowd
began calling for Bryan. They broke into
the speechmaking of G. b. Faris, who ac-
copied the banners presented by Congress
man Clark, and nearly howled down NJ. T.
Benton, who also made speech of accept.
NJ, nit 80,
Bryan. But the order of the program was
maintained, and NJ. G. Wetmore of St
Louis spoke on TRUSTS and Democracy"
lie was followed by Congressman David
A. De Almond of Missouri, who spoke on
1.-THE Trust and Its Parents"
The crowd grew impatient before he
had finished and again the cries for Bryan
broke out. But the Missouri man kept on
despite the vociferous reminders that il
was 10 O'Clock and growing late. 1t was
on the program for the audience to sing
"Amcricn" before Mr.. Bryan spoke. The
committee on arrangements, with an eye
for effective climaxes, had arranged mat
tiers so that Mr.. Bryans ovation would be
one of the old-fashioncd kind. But il
needed no program or arrangements tc
make Mr.. Bryan feel he was welcome.
The cheers for him began while Con
gresham De Almond was walking to his
seat The band broke into America
The crowd of men and women rose Will. q
great shout, and the shouts and cheers
drowned the mp1R of the band. The n.rl
sicians played two verses of the old sone
and then the audience stopped cheering
and took up the words. From America
the band changed to "Hol the Fort
Scarcely any one heard the music, for Mr.
Bryan came forward, and for three mn
utes he stood in silence while the Demo
Gratis tried to lift the roof. Mr.. Bryan
was hoarse The speechmaking of two
days previous had strained the voon
chords, but he managed to overcome tao
poor acoustics of the hall with his VOL
derful voice; the hoarscness disappeared
before he was half through his speech
He finished in Il tumult Of wild appliance
Mr.. Bryan Speaks.
Mr.. Bryan's subject was "Monopolies.
aud he spoke as follows:
| An actor who visited Nebraska recently
upon learning from II Republican that con
| tdence had been restored, remarked that oe
| had examined Wcbster's dictionary to lentn
what coincidence" meant, and found conl
| dence defined as trust" and then he un
| derstoud that confidence had been really re
| stored
| More trusts have been formed during t1t
last two years than existed at the beginning
| of the present administration, and the nom
| inal capitalization of the trusts now In ex
| istence approaches. If 1t does not equal In
| amount, the worlds total supply of gold nDd
| silver. The influence of these trusts has he
come 80 enormous that the people, without
respect to party, are nsking themselves how
| the evil can be remcdied.
The purpose of the trusts Is to control tht
product of some article of merchandise, nld
the methods employed are: First, the uni)l
| Of all individual factories under one man
| agement or In one corporation, and, second
| the crushing out of new rivals. monopo ~
| when once complete not only dictates terms
| to those who buy the product, but it also
| dictates terms to those who sell the raw
| material and to those who furnish the labor
| II the trusts are permitted to continue, ass
| shall find an Industrial aristocracy grow y
up in the United States which will prove as
l. destructive of our ideals us II landed ais
| tocracy would.
The principle of monopoly is Incompatible
| with our Institutions. Mans necessities
| compel him to become n purchaser alt
| where there is but one seller the purchatcl
Is completely at the mercy OF the sell n
Where there is competition between pso
| ducers the purchaser is sure TO obtain WI al
| he wants at II reasonable price. When com
petition Is eliminated the price Is control et
uot by reason, but by the greed of the tnt
| who possesses the monopoly.
| 1t has been said that the power to tau I,
| Il power to destroy. A monopoly posses Sc.
the power to tax; 1t can levy such assess
| ments as 1t will upon the purchaser, hnt
| we can no more afford to permit such
power to be exercised by private individ,wl.
| than we could afford to authorize prl, ut,
| Individual to use the machinery of taxa;iol
In order 10 enrich himself at the expens. o.
his fellows.
| The Government would be guilty of < .os.
| neglect II 1t permitted an individual tC ST
| cure Il monopoly even without lcgislativ,
| assistance, but it is still more culpablc | | b,
| legislative act it furnishes the means by
| which II monopoly Is secured. The corr ora
| tion is the means now employed by t1os,
| who seek to secure n monopoly. Since tn,
| corporation is fictitious person, created by
| law. the power that creates can regu ate
restrain or annhilate. To say that tire GOV
| ernment is impotent to prevent the ortnni
| zution of trusts is to say that 1t has callct
| Into existence fictitious person, ana tia
the fictitious person created has be,cm,