Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-05-26
ANTITRUST BANQUET.

Fourteen hundred people were at the
tables at the antitrust banquet 10 st
Lonis last night and thousands OF
others were present to hear Mr.. Bryan's
speech. The vast arenalof the Colos-
seum,was filled with long tables, taste
fully decorated with roses, lilies-of-the.
valley and carnations. The table Of
honor was placed on raised platform
at the north side of the arena, and at it
were seated Hon. w. ]. Bryan, ex-Gov-
ernor John 2. Altgeld, o. II. 2. Bel
mont, Nj. c. Wetmore, Harry B.
Halves, president of the Jefferson Club,
under whose auspices the dinner was
given; Hon. Champ Clark, David a. De
Almond and number of other prom
inent democrats. The dinner was con.
cluded at eight o'clock. No speeches
were made during the bauqnet. 1t was
strictly love.feast. BY the time the Ia
blcs we're cleared the 5000 seats of the
amphitheater were filed with the spec
tators representing the Society OF st.
Louis, and the speaking began. The
first speaker OF the evening was Harry
B. HAYES, president of the Jefferson
Club, who delivered the address of well
come. President Halves was followed
by Hon. Champ Clark, of Missouri,
who presented the State and district
banners in the name of the State COM
mittee.
Mr.. Bryan was the chief speaker,
and in the course of his address he
said:
IAN actor who visited Nebraska re-
Gently, upon learning from a republican
that confidence had been restored, re-
marked that be had examined Web.
ster's dictionary to learn what conf
dence' meant, and found confidence de.
fined as trust and then he understood
that confidence had been really re-
stored. More trusts had been formed
during the last two years than existed
at the beginning Of the present admin
istration, and the nominal capitaliza-
ton OF the trusts in existence APP
proaches, if it does not equal in amount,
the worlds total supply of gold and
silver. The Influence OF these trusts
has become SO enormous that the peo-
Pile, without respect to party, are ask
ing themselves how the evil can be
remedied. 1t has been said that the
power TO tax is power TO destroy. a
monopoly possesses the power to tax;
it can levy such assessments as it will
upon the purchaser, and we can no
more afford to permit such power to
be exercised by private individuals
than we could afford to authorize
private individual to use the machinery OF
taxation in order to enrich himself at the
expense of his fellows. One of the ditli-
culties which has been encountered in
opposing trusts is that the trust hides be-
hind the federal constitution when attacked
by State legislation, and shields itself behind
its charter when attacked In the federal
courts. No remedy will be complete that is
not coextensive with the federal government
The republican party is impotent to destroy
the trusts 1t is controlled by those who are
interested in trusts, and its campaign funds
and snews OF war are supplied by the trusts
Abraham Lincoln, at the very beginning of
his presidential career, warned the country
against the threatened attempt to put capital
above labor in the structure of the govern.
ment. Modern repu blicanism is fulfilling the
prophecy made by Lincoln; 1t is putting the
dollar above the man. The democratic party
is opposed to tho principle OF monopoly
wherever it manfests itself. 1t has declared
war on the trusts. Not little trust, but
big trust as well. Not against one kind of
trust only, bat against all trusts.