Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-09-22
Bryan on Human Nature.

Colonel Bryan brings to actual reali-
zation the legend of the fellow who
raced around a circle so smartly as to
tread upon his own heels. He argues
in a circle so smartly as 10 cause a rear
end collision with his own train of
thought. The entire defense of trusts,
he tells us, rests upon a money argu-
ment; and then he proceeds to say that
trust is bad thing because when it
gets full control of one branch of in
dustry it will fix wages and prices as
it pleases, and he assures us that the
root of the monopoly evil is explained
in the Biblical declaration that the
love of money is the root of all evil.
Are we, then, to understand that the
defense of trusts is to be condemned
because it rests upon a money argu-
ment, while the attack upon trusts,
similarly resting upon money, is to be
approved?
Again he attributes the evil to hum
an nature. God" he assures us,
with the cocksureness of absolute au-
thority on all topics pertaining to
Divinity, God made men selfish. 1"
We had been informed, but it must
have been on inferior authority, that
God made man in his own image. But
let that pass 1t happened long time
ago. The point of present interest is
that Colonel Bryan reckons men to be
selfish, and human nature to be selfish,
and yet demands that we shall legislate
against selfshness. Does he expect
selfish men to prohibit selfshness, or
humanity 20 deny human nature?
Truly, we have not heard of a conven-
tion of thieves resolving tha there
shall be no more stealing, nor of a pc
tition of fishes for the abolition of
swimming He tells us ther can be
no good monopoly until God sends us
angels to preside over us. Why not
have them? If by legislation we can
overcome the human nature with
which, as he tells us, God created us,
why not likewise enact thathenceforth
there shall be angels to manage our af-
fairs ?
If God did intend to make men sell
fish as Colonel Bryan processes to
think, what hope can there be of the
success of any legislation against it?
The history of the world teens with
records of legislation against human
nature, but never in a single instance
crowned with success. Human nature
demands freedom, political, religious,
intellectual industrial. Innumerable
despots have striven to restrict and to
deny that freedom, with partial and
temporary success, but with ultimate
and disastrous failure. A like failure
must await the like denial and restric-
zion which Colonel Bryan proposes
Moreover, there can be no presumption
more foolish and more mOnstrous than
for one man or set of men TO declare
! themselves superior in nature to all
tie rest of humanity. If God made men
selfish, then He made William J.
Bryan selfish and we are at liberty ia
assume that the latter's motive in his
attacks upon trusts is every whit as
selfish as the motives of their defend
ers.
1t is pitable spectacle which a mar
makes of himself when he assumes
such an attitude as that; especially :
man who puts himself forward as q
leader of men. Colonel Bryan aspire.
to become the head of the United
States Government He believes, il
his own dignihed and statesmanlik;
words, that zone of the great purpose!
Of government is to put rings in The
noses Of hogs" He likens selfish meI
to hogs. And he declares that Goo
made men selfish. Practically, there
fore, he says to the American people
you are all a set of hogs. Let me pu
rings in your noses" 1t would b,
edifylng to mankind to see him seek
ing votes on such platform. Or, Il
maintain his own ehaste imagery, root
ing for votes in such a sty.-New Yorl
Tribune.