The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-16

monopoly the monopoly has
been lowering prices in order
to rid itself of competitors;
but when it has rid itself of competi-
tors, what is going to be the results2
human nature. God made men selfish.
SelfiShness is merely the Outgrowth of
an instinct of self preservation. It is
the abnormal development of a mans
desire to protect himself
I'VE must recognize seldshness 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. SocietyiS
interested in this because if a man dies
and leaves no provisions for his wife
and children, the burden falls upon So
ciety.
I believe that the principle of mo-
nopoly finds its inspiration in the desire
Of men to secure by monopoly what
they can not 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
on 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 list that
trusts make, would destroy the trusts.
1 do not agree with this statement
it is made so broadly. I believe that
the high tariff has aided the trust to
collect more than the trust otherwise
could collect, but I do not believe that
you could destroy all trusts by putting
all trust made articles on the free list.
Why? Because if an article can be pro-
duced in this country as cheaply as it
can be produced abroad then the trust
could not extort so much as it could
with the tariff and while some relief
may come from notifications of the
tariff, we can not destroy monopoly un-
til we lay the axe at the root of the
tree and make monopoly impossible by
1T has been suggested that discrim-
inatiOn by railroads has aided the
trusts. There is no question that dis
elimination and favoritism secured by
one corporation against another pro-
ducer and a rival has been largely in
strumental in enabling a desired mon
Opoly to become practically a monOp
oily. Now that can be remedied by laws
that will prevent this discrimination
and when we prevent the discrimina-
ton, still that monopoly may exist. The
remedy must be complete enough to
prevent the organization of a monop-
oily. Now what can be done to
prevent this? We have state, govern
ment and federal government and
while this dual form of government
has it's advantages, yet both state and
nation should have concurrent reme-
dies. In the first place every state has
or should have the right to create any
private corporation which i'll the justice
of the people of the state is conducive
TO the welfare of the people of that
state. I believe that we can safely en-
trust to the people of a state the set
Slement of q question which concerns
them. If they create a corporation and
it becomes destructive of their best in
tereStS they can destroy that corpora
ton and we can safely trust them both
to create and to annihilate, if conditions
make annihilation necessary. 1t the
second place the state has, or should
have the right to prohibit any foreign
doing business
state and it ought to have or has the
right to impose such restrictions and
limitations as the people of the state
may think necessary upon any foreign
corporation doing business in the state
4 believe in addition to a state rem
edy there must be a federal remedy and
I believe that congress has, or should
have the power to place such restric-
tions and limitations even to the point
of prohibition upon any corporation or
ganized in one state that wants to do
business outside of the state.
Now I believe that these concurrent
remedies will reach the difficulty; that
the people of every state shall first
decide whether they want to create a
corporation, that they shall secondly
decide whether they want any outside
corporation to do business in the state
and if so upon what conditions and
thirdly that congress shall exercise the
right to place upon every corporation
doing business outside of the state in
| which it is organized such limitations
and restrictions as may be necessary
for the protection OF the public good. -
Col Bryan at this point read the IA
nous circular letter advertising the in
corporation laws of Delaware. He COM
mented sarcastically on advantages set
forth in the letter.
A person in the audience inquired:
Delaware and New Jersey are both
Democratic states are they not2' to
which Mr.. Bryan replied: They were
not in 1885,
He continued: 'I have read this let
ter in order to show you that where a
! state can gain an advantage from the
! Incorporation of these great aggrega-
/ tiOns of wealth, it is not safe to place
| the people of other states at the tender
| mercies of the people of such a state as
| may desire TO secure its running expen-
! ses from the taxation of corporations
| ORGANIZED to prey upon people outside.
lone method for the annihilatiOn of
trusts has occurred to me and to me 1T
! seems a complete method. 1t may not
| commend itself to you. 1t is this: Con-
| gress should pass a law providing that
no corporation organized III any state
/ should do business outside of the state
| in which it is organized until it re
| ceives from some power created by
| congress, a license authorizing 1t to do
! business outside of its own state. Cap
| pIause) Now if the corporation must
/ come to this body created by congress
| to secure permission to do business out
| side the state then that license can be
| granted upon conditions which viii, IN
| the first place prevent the watering OF
| stock; in the second place, prevent
monopoly in any branch of business; ;
| and third provide for publicity as to
| all of the transactions and business of
| the corporation.
| If it is unconstitutional and so de-
| clared by the supreme court, I am in
! favor of an amendment to the consti-
| tuition that will give to congress power
| to destroy every trust in the country
| The first condition which suggested
| was that no water should be allowed ir
| the stock I do not believe that any
/ state should permit the organization
/ of any corporation with a single droT
| of water in the stock of that corpora
! ton Why should the corporation be
| permitted to put out stock that repre-
| sents no real value