The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-19
BRADY ON TRUSTS,
Republic Threatened
With a New
Menace.
IS IT A BENEFIT OR EVIL?
An Iridescent Dream of
a Universal Broth
erhood.
is IT A BENEFIT OR EVIL?

At Grace church last night, Rev. Dr..
James Boyd Brady preached forcetuI
and eloquent sermon on "Weal,h
against commonwealth taking his
text from Judges tx, %, And they
robbed all that came along that way
Before the sermon proper, Dr. Brady
delivered the following prelude on
Trusts"
In early times men dubbed together
in clans; in medieval time they
dubbed together in Kingdoms, but now
they combine in trusts.
This is a new movement in the world
and can be made to work much veal OF
woe according to the way the trusts
are conducted. If conducted seltisnlN,
despotically avariciOusly and tyranI-
cally they can reduce the middle classes
and the poor worse than the feudalls-
ticism of the middle ages II they
multiply as during the past eight
months they will soon have the lead
ing properties and people of this com
mOnwealths under their control. They
will be able to raise the prices Of pro-
ducts and lower the rate of wages.
They will be able to control municipal
politics, state legislators and national
representatives..
They will have power to muZZte the
press, and gag the preacher; they will
be able to levy war and proclaim peace;
they will be in a condition to dictate
terms to our cities, states and republic
Thus you perceive the republic is
threatened with a new menace that has
grown up out of a new prosperity.
There is no doubt that many of these
trust promoters are intending to be
barOns who shall elevate themselves on
mountains of gold while the multitudes
swelter in the sludge of sQualOr and
struggle, suffer and die in the spasmS
of poverty. The case Is sufficiently
alarming to call for voices from the
pulpit, but the pulpit should be fair and
present both sides of the question, for
while there is an alarming side to the
trusts there Is also a charming POSSIBLE
ity before them and before the people
through them.
We are not to forget how the trusts
came to the birth. 1t was begotten by
the fury Of modern industrial cOmpeti-
ton. The tenseness, sharpness and Sc
verify of this competition made sagac-
ious men sigh for relief from the rasp-
ing excitement and toll attending al
most every industrial enterprise
They felt that if they could change
competition into Cooperation they
would have a safer, easier and happier
time. This change they have made and
they are now luXuriating in easy safety
and success. They also claim that they
are forming to be the greatest benefit
to the country; that little capital can
not now do the work of the world This
is new stage of human progress
through which we are passing in Amer
lea and this state requires new
institutions. Indeed, the more devout
of the trust promoters go so far as to
say that the cooperative policy of the
trusts is the policy Of the Christ, and
that the trust which will destroy the
hateful rivalries of man will also cult
vate the beautiful brotherhood of the
long divided human family.
You will all be delighted to have this
dream realized, and I do not take the
ground that it may not be realized. for
must hold the beam of balance even.
l 90, however, take this ground most
strongly that if trusts shall give i'm
proved service to the people, if they go
forward by distributing knowledge and
exploring nature and drawing from her
hidden cabinets the divine Jewels if
they build themselves up by furnishing
better goods at lower prices and so i'm
prove the condition of the people: if
they advance by using their surplus in
helping to educate, elevate and espec-
tally to evangelize the masses, then
they shall live and flourish and the
world will bloom in bounteous beauty
them and we shall have heaven
upon earth But on the other hand, i'll
the trusts forces prices up and wages
down, if they clamor for unjust and ILL
gotten gains wrung from the nerves and
sweat and blood and lives of the under
paid and struggling poor; if they turn
away from God and give themselves col
despOtism, eXaction and tyranny, then
God will not wait for any antitrust
laws to rectify them, nor for any
'Laisse faire,' or any law of natural re-
action to visit them, but he will cause
the people of this country to rise i'm
their righteous wrath and bring down
the hellish trusts and trust promoters
with such thunderous crash as shall he |
heard through all the earth and heaven
Next Sunday evening DR.. Brady viii |
explain the forces by which the trusts
may prove a source Of blessing In The |
people, and the Sunday evening follow
ing will explain the manner in V-bt., |