Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-10-27

The conference held in Chicago to
discuss trusts and to suggest remedies
for evils that may be found to follow
their existence, closed Sept. Ii, the
chief orators of that day being w. }.
Bryan and Bourke Cochran. Mr.. Bry-
an took the position that the origin OF
trusts must be looked for in the greed,
selfishness and baseness that charac-
terizes mankind. Mr.. Cochran pointed
out that under competitive conditions
some one must necessarily excel, even
to the point of monopoly. and inquired
II limits were to be set to the degree oil
excellency a man might attain. MIR.
Bryan assumed that trusts were, IN
and of themselves, monopolistic and
necessarily vicious, and must there
fore be exterminated, the only ques
ton being one of manner of getting at
them. Mr.. Cochran maintained that II
had not yet been shown that trust or
great aggregation of capital must nee
essarily be vicious in its effects, even
if it became a monopoly, so long as 1t
was liable to be pushed from it's mo"
nopolistic position by the competition
of other great aggregations OF capital
whenever it was not giving the largest
possible return to the consumer OF lts
product. or rendering him the greatest
possible service, for the lowest possible
price. Both agreed on the propositions
that whenever a combination of capt.
tai enjoys governmental favor, through
tariff or otherwise, that enables 1t to
render inferior service or demand I'M
due returns, and yet be out OF the
reach of competition, wrong is done;
and that at least such degree OF pub
licity should attach to their affairs
that the public could know whether
The capital was actual or watered. AS
IN the remedies for evils that may at
tend or follow from the operations of
great aggregations of capital Mr.. Coch-
ran saw a probably sufficient remedy
in publicity. Mr.. Bryan went further'
He demanded not only publicity, but
federal control that would make 1t nee
essary for a corporation to procure
federal license before it could do bust
ness beyond the boundaries of the state
that had chartered it. Such license to
he granted only after it had been
shown that the corporation applying
for the same had only actual-not wa
tered-capital, and was not monopolis-
tic in its tendency. He did not know
whether congress had the right to con-
stitute such licensing commission,
but was in favor Of amending the fed
eral constitution If necessary in order
TO vest such right in congress. 1t may
ne noted here that in making tSAs rec
ommendation Mr.. Bryan knocks from
under the anti-expansion argument one
of the two legs it stood on. That ar
eument is, in brief: First, that it is
had policy to expand; second, that
there must be no fundamental change
in the system of government transmit
/ ted by the fathers as interpreted by Mr..
Atkinson. In recommending such a
change. Mr.. Bryan declares that there
ia nothing in the second proposition,
and thus takes all question Of princi-
ple out of the anti-expansion argument,
leaving it one solely of expediency.
And as soon as 1t is reduced to that.
Il becomes chiefly an Industrial ques-
ton, that may be stated thus: Is 1t
| good policy to incur the present ex-
pense necessary to organize govern
ments In the islands in question in the
expectation Of acquiring markets for
American products that would other
wise be practically closed to us and
monopolized by European countries?
On this proposition l think that the
body of American laborers and me-
chanics has already pronounced in ia
yor of making the investment. The
Industrial world took much interest in
the proceedings of this conference, be-
cause 1t had been hoped that some de-
finite knowledge would be gained con-
corning the operation and effects of
the recent movement toward CONSOLE
dation Of industries. That hope has
been disappointed, as the committee
on resolutions reported as follows:
while it is not expected that thor
ough investigation of even Gny branch