The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-09-29
FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER %, 1890.
ME. RRYAN,s NEW PHILOSOPHY.

MIX. BB1 An INV
In the speech which MT. William J..
BRYAN made at the Trust Congress held
It Chicago in the early part OF this month";
he said. amongst other things, the fol-
lowing:
Nothing IS more important than that
We shall. i'm the beginning. rightly UNI
derstand the relation between money ana
man.
money is the servant OF man, and pro-
test against all theories that enthrone
money and debase mankind III you VIII
20 about over the country YOU Will see
where people have subscribed money 10
establish enterprises. and where these en-
tsrprises. having come under the control
of the TRUSTS, HAVE BEEN CLOSED
Up AND STAND NOW AS ST. ENT
MONUMENTS TO THE SODOM OF
THE TRUST SYSTEM
This IS the substance Of an of Mr..
Rryan's arguments against the Trust
They all turn upon a denunciation of
money and jeremiads over industries being
closed by the octopus.
Mr.. Bryan never seems to perceive the
conflict between the two branches Of his
argument. When DE Is denouncing money
one would suppose ne wanted 10 return
10 the asceticism of the ancient philosophy
which would take no account OF what was
10 be useful TO man, but concerned itself
wholly with the ornamental and what
IT assumed to be ripening to the soul of
man. But when he turns into denouncing
the Trust because It closes up unneces-
sary factories. we perceive that Mr..
Bryan. though on pleasure bent, has a
frugal mind" His fine scorn for "the
dollar" gives place utterly 10 his keen
annette for filthy lucre whcnthe thinks
he sees "A chance to turn an honest penny
by running a well-equipped factory that be
sees idle.
The answer 10 an Of these Trades
against the "Trust" for closing factories
lies upon the surface. and Is as simple
as 4. y. G.. The Trust does not close O
factory that can run 10 advantage. 1t
would be foolish to do so. II it has one
hundred factories and finds that fifty can
produce an that the public can consume,
then Il sees that the business was over
done before the Trust was formed. and
that fifty OF the factories are not only
useless. but harmful Ii closes ffty, there
fore. because they should never have been
built. But the public suffers no harm,
since the remaining nfy turn out an that
can be consumed.
a Jew days back We quoted from Lord
Macaulay's essay upon ord Bacon 10
illustrate the contrast between the phi
losOphy Of the world from the earliest
historical ages until Lord Bacon pro-
claimed the new philosophy Of the useful
under which the world has been advanc-
ing by leaps and bounds ever since he
proclaimed IL. We Will quote from that
splendid essay again TO illustrate what
the new philosophy has done for man
kind. Lord M%acaulay says.
1T has heightened life. ID has mitigated
pain. lt has e-xtinguished diseases. IL has
Increased the fertility of the soil. IL has /
given new securities 10 the mariner: IL
has furnished new arms 10 the warrior.
10 has spanned great rivers and streams
with bridges Of form unknown TO our
N4AAN'A - % AHAN ENAANA AAN NNMNNMNA WNAN /
innocently from heaven 10 earth. 10 has /
lighted up the night with the splendor of
the day. h has extended the range Of the
human vision: IL has multiplied the power !
Of the human muscle. IL has accelerated
motion: IL has annihilated distance: IL
has facilitated intercourse, correspondence. /
all friendly offices. all dispatch Of bust
ness; 10 has enabled nan TO descend 10 the
depths Of tho sea. 10 soar into the
air. 20 penetrate securely into the noxious
recesses OF the earth. 10 traverse the land
cars. which whirl along without horses. I
and the ocean on ships that sail against
the wind. These are hut a part OF its
fruits. and OF its first fruits. For IL IS
a philosophy which never rests. which has
never finished. which Is never perfect. its
law Is progress. A point which yesterday
was visible - It's goal to-day. ana win
be It's starting point tomorrow
Tbs things that Mr. Bryan complains
Or in the new order " things ale what
the new philosophy VI Lord Bacon has
produced. and they are the inevitable i
attendants OF the developments OF the
new philosophy. But are We 70 give u up1
and return 10 the squalor and wretcheg-
ness OF the old order Of thins~ because
men are not able 70 run IA the
ace OF life as fast as the swiftest?