The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-17

no the best plan. If You have anything
better. propose it. IL there is any amend
nient that You can think of THAT will mn
uroye il, suggest it. | am anxious TO
accept anything.
81 of mo suggest one other thing thai
I believe will be a step in the right diFec-
tion The great trouble has been that
while our platforms denounce corpora
+ions COMBINATIONS control the elections
and Mace under obligation to them the
men who are elected TO enforce the law
lArnlause1 Let me propose a remedy
M ! remedy. but a step / think, in the
,.igbt direction Let the laws, State ana
NotionoI make it Il Nenal offense for
any corporation to contribute TO the caul'
paign fund or any political party Ton
timed Ccheers and applause.) Nebraska
has such law, passed Two years aSo'
q,onnessee has such a law, passed two
wears ago. Such law was passed, or
was introduced in the State OF New
York. but so Iar it has not reached the
stage of actual law III the State or New
YORK. Iaughter.) Now j believe II IS
stem i'm the right direction. You remell-
her the testimony taken before senate
committee few years ago, Wheh the
head Of the Sugar Trust testified that the
Sugar Trust made its business 10 con
tribute to campaign funds; and Wheh
asked TO which one 1T contributed re-
piled that it depended upon clrcuin-
stances. TO which fund do you contrib
ute in Massachusetts, was asked. 10
the Republican fund. TO which fund
in New York; TO the Democratic fund.
sT7o which fund in New Jersey ana the
man saws. Well, / will have to look to
tbe books. that is a doubtful state
Continued laughter and applause.l Now
that is almost a literal reproduction OF
the testimony of ONE great corporation ON
the subject of campaign contributions.
don't mean to say that that rcnedy Wlii
he complete enc, but ! believe tla'
when YOU prevent corporation from
contributing to campaign funds, thai you
take a step in the right direction toward
better legislation. because some corpora
tions are compelled to contribute; they
are blackmailed into contributions, and
such a law would protect corporation
that did not want to contribute and also
Prevent corporation from contributing
chat did want to contribute.
IF the people are in earnest they can
do il and You never could do anything Il
this country until the people are III earn
est. When the American people under
stand what the monopoly question: means
| believe that there Will no power, poiid-
cal. financial or otherwise, to prevent the
people from taking possession or every
branch of Government from President
TO the Supreme Court, and making a
Government responsible to the peoples
WILL tChecrs.)
Al the conclusion of Colonel BryGn's
address. Bourke Cockram arose and
said in part:
Il agree with much that Mr.. Bryan
has said. If there be a monopoly that
Expresses.
He continued:
II believe there is no constitutional
limitation, there is no provision OF
government, there is no power on earth
against those people redressing the
wound when it becomes a wrong.
The question was whether such a
wrong exists, and if SO where. Times
We're good and there was little to COM
plain about. If competition was to
he urged, some one must succeed, and
no limitations could be put upon it..
IF we realize for the moment that
this is an age of Improvement; that the
conditions of men are growing better
we ought to hesitate while before we
change and take the side may be
for one of fanciful experiments"
He contended that no monopoly could
charge undue prices and live without
government favor, as competition was
certain to spring up. There was no
way to make permanent monopoly
except by excellence of service. He
urged full publicity regarding the OPP
erations of all corporations. With a law
to that end passed he believed strikes
would soon become impossible. He
also believed that citizens injured by
the collapse of any corporation should
have compensation for damages sus-
tanned. He closed with protest
against Mr.. Bryan's declaration that
the creation of wealth was sordid, say
ing that upon the wealth of the coun-
try the production of everything in
tellectual and moral depends.
Great cheering greeted the conclu-
sion of Mr.. Cochran's speech. Gem
eral discussion was then resumed, and
shortly afterward the conference adj
journed sine die.