The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-16

Chicago, Sept. 15.-The exciting joint
debate looked for tonight between. Will
liam j. Bryan and W. Bourke Cochran
on trusts did not take place. Central
Music hall was packed with an eager
audience, but the people present had to
content themselves without the oratory
of the famous Nebraskan, who, how
ever, occupied a seat on the platform.
Mr.. Bryan reached Central Music
hall early in the evening. He went di-
rect to room upstairs, where he was
| greeted by Chairman Franklin Head,
Congressman Gaines, Ralph M. Easley,
members of the programme committee
of the civic conference on trusts Mr.
Bryan surprised the committee by de-
Ginning to speak at the night session
with w. Bourke Cochran, in accordance
with the programme previously ar
ranged. Mr.. Bryan explained that he
did not wish to let the impression go
out that he was to enter into a debate
with Mr.. Cochran. Fer tfat reason, he
said, he would not speak with Mr..
Cochran at the same session.
Mr.. Cochran was sent for and he and
Mr. Bryan discussed the situation. The
| committee withdrew to allow the two
orators to settle the dispute among
themselves. Mr.. Bryan asserted that
he never said he would follow Mr..
Cochran with an address on the same
evening. If the committee got that i'm
preston from the conversation he had
with them over the long distance te1e-
phone Thursday, he said they miSun-
dcfstood him.
Bryan Wouldn't Speak.
Mr.. Cochran wanted to talk at the
same session with the noted Nebraskan
| and offered to flip a coin to determine
who should have the privilege of de-
livering the closing address. Mr.. Bryan
would not accept this proposition. Mr.
Cochran then agreed to appear at any
time the committee desired.
The programme was tonight changed
to meet Mr.. Bryan's wishes. Mr.. Bryan
said he was anxious to address the
| conference, and repeated that his only
reason for changing the programme
was to avoid any indication Of q public
debate with Mr.. Cochran. Mr.. Bryan
will speak at tomorrow's session.
Though disappointed IN failing to see
such a spectacle as Bryan and Cochran
pitted against each other, the audi
ence enjoyed a rare treat, as Mr.. Cock
ran was at his best and his speech was
punctuated with frequent and prolonged
applause. When Mr.. Bryan made his
appearance at the entrance, it was the
signal for tumultuous cheering, which
| lasted until the NeIbraskan had taken
his seat on the speakers stand.
Mr. Foulke of Indiana, who was in the
middle of an address when the Outburst
| occurred, put the audience in good hui
NOR by remarking: Il guess you came
here tonight to hear somebody else
| speak, Mr.. Foulke was followed by
Edward Rosewater of Omaha. whose
address received notably close atten-
II. ot1rafv- hon
| introduced Hon. w. Bourke Cochran
of New York. Mr.. Cochran said in
part:
Bourke Cockran's Speech.
81 shall endeavor, for the purpose of
establishing an intelligent basis Of dis
| cussion, somewhat free from these
| terms over which men have become
moved to passionate defamation, to
define prosperity as an abundance of
commodities fairly distributed among
those who produce them.
eve must have commodities TO dis
| tribute before we can distribute them
| in the form of wages or profits If this
| definition of prosperity be correct. it is
perfectly plain that there is no reason
| why a sensible man should grow ex-
cited. either to the approval or resent
ment at combination merely as such.
| A combination may be good or bad. ac-
cording to it's effect. Any industrial
system which operates to swell the vol
1Irle of production should be com
nlended; anything that operates to re-
strict it should be suppressed.
Now whether any of these combina-
| lions of capital or combinations of
( labor operate to raise prices or reduce
them is subject about which there IS
a wide diversity of opinion There are
some combinations which operate to
reduce price and which operate to de-
preciate them. 1t would be idle to say
that some improve, that some raise
prices and some depress them, if we did