The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-11-28
p,zed Condition Of Democratic Ma
tiOnal Committee.
FIND THEMSELVES IN SCRAPE
Nv clinging to the Personal Fortunes
Of One Man-TAsir Conference at
Chicago Was CHASTITY Ceremony.
Bryan Has Become Absurd in the
Eyes of the American People.

one man. Their conference at Chicago
was a CHASTITY ceremony. There were
M IDEAS in their heads, and there was
no courage In their hearts. When they
talked about the plans of the campaign
[or next year, and the Issues upon which
the fight for the presidency is to be
made they made an exhibition OF their
homeless condition that would be pltiful
IL it were possible to feel pity for blum
derinE incompetence. x
we are told that 1t was the unanI-
NOUS opinion OF the committee that the
chicago platform of 1898 must be re-
adopted I'm its entirety" with anti
trust and anti-lmperialIst planks added.
The structure and substance of the
Chicago platform ls free silver coinage.
rake that away, and there remains only
gclatlnods mass OF Sociallstlc proto-
plasm that cannot be made to stand
alone from the sustaining framework of
free silver. But 1t is perfectly appar-
emf that the Democratic committeeman
and managers want to poke the free Sill
yer issue out OF sight into, the back
ground, where 1t will make no trouble
during the canvass next year. They
have sense enough to see that Issue Will
defeat them II 1t Is made prominent.
They have not as yet shown the capac-
ity TO formulate any practicable new Is
sues to take It's place.
They all talk about opposition to the
trusts and to Imperialism. Upon those
tsa1r NffoRunNpn ring hollow
and false. There Is no more spirit In
them than there lis In the remarks of
an Imperfectly educated parrot. A
musty and repetitlous flavor pervades
everything they say about new is
sues" They do not believe In their
efficacy. They know as well now as they
will know a year from now that they
cannot restore the Democratic party to
power and the confidence OF the people
by an assault upon the trusts and upon
the policy OF the administration IN re-
gard to our new possessions. Anti I'M
perlalIsm, indeed, Is already in Its last
gasp. The elections showed that the
people refused to take any interest in
it, The wIplng out OF Aguinaldo's lnsur-
rection and the endeaVors OF our mill
tary authorities in the Philippines to es-
tahlish civil government in the cities
and towns where they have succeeded In
restoring order and obedience to law
will quite make an end OF the issue, and
Of talk about II before the candidates
ere nominated.
AS for the trusts. 1t has been many
times pointed out that the diahollcal
cunning OF the monsters In paying high
wages to their men would In a very
large measure paralyze the campaign
attacks upon them. We are not aware
TO which party Mr.. Samuel Gompers be-
longs, or whether he belongs to either.
hut II he is Democrat 1t is evident
that he Is not In the confidence OF the
present managers Of that BrynnlZed
party He appeared ms witness be-
fore the Industrial commission at Wash
ington. the other day, and gave testl-
mony which Is thus summarized in the
press report:
Speaking OF the union label, Mr.. Com
persi said that there were thirty-seven
dInt3cnt ORGANIZATIONS now using the
label and that II was growing to pop
ularity very rapidly, He defended the
boycott as a legal and proper weapon
for the working man holding that what
he had a right as an individual to do
he vas Justified in uniting with others
to DO
Mr. Gompers said that organized labor
viewed trusts simply as their employers.
There had been cases In which the or
gnniZation had ben benefited by COM
hind lions Of capital. It was too early
10 decide whether men would be more
steadily employed by the trusts than
by other employers. He had found that
these combinations have more influence
in securing legislation than had unor-
EaRized capital.
He took position against co-opera-
knt nRnaPlauCn
had proved that laborcrs secured no
greater advantages under them than
under the wage system. He had no
fear Of the future for organized labor
The condition Of labor was better to-
day than ever before. and he attribute
ed the Improvement to the influence OF
organized labor.
Now, coming from the president of the
American Federation of Labor, this tes-
timony must be considered an authors
tative presentation Of The Views Of or
ganIzed labor. 1t Ia highly significant
in two respects, In the first place, 1t
reflects no general opposition to trusts
and combinations Of capital. The work.
tngmen look upon them simply as their
employers" II they get good wages
and are well treated they have no senti-
mental. ethical or politlcO- economic OBJ
lection to their continued existence. But
II the labor vote cannot be turned
dCaist the trusts. where are the votes
to be found that will elect Mr.. Bryan
on that Issue? Votes must be- gained
that could not be had fOesIree silver
Who Is to cast them?
The second notable quaiity OF Mr.
GpmPeFs testimony IL TINT u exhibits
organized labor as the greatest OF all
trusts There IL no monster" in the
pn,tptrts ri hiN and
powerful as the great Federation Of La
hor for which Mr.. Gompcrs spoke when
he appeared before the industrial COM
mission. He even defended III" boy
colt ms a legitimate weapon. What he
had rIVht aa an Individual 10 do he
was iuS'lRPd In uniting with others to
DO" hp said There ls no other prcsl-
don't ~ trust or combination who
would dare 10 rreach TINT doctrine In
n'lln defiance OF law tits the doctrine
of monopo'v IN It's extreme form. mon
onolv cetahlIshed and maintained by
tho Norclhln supnreFsion accommodation,
nrH rranirosfly "ln restraint NJ trn 1e +"
rho hovcoii f. the wennon employed by
labor 70 nnIntnIr the supremacy Of the
un'0n ITS chief uFe n In DESTROY or
bring 70 terms concerns that employ
"o"-uri0n lnhor MnralIHts and P0pu-
ll0t1 will probably not contend that r"-
sort 70 tn" boycott is Rny moro d"fe4si-
VI" thar secret rebates. cutting nrlces,
tho buying md closing NJ rival mills. nr
any NJ thu Nthor rlennq which the man
nrer. ~ trusts employ to kill IN COM
petition.
0rrnnl7ef labor ls not only tho big
""gt trust but II about tho oldest Tho
waTe-enrncrs long aro learned the nd-
vnr'aHes Of combination, Their condi-
ton hns hceu immensely bcitcrcd ny tho
'ormntlnn ~ lahnr unions. Organization
IL nnricctlv lnElllmnIe. wIse and snnnh