The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-19
His Speech Against Combinations of Capital
Against Labor
THE. EVIL OF THE PRESENT AGE
An Immense Music Hall
Bryan the of
the Therefor th-Hs Warming
the Mocha Proceed of the
Anti -TrustC Bourke Cock
Replies to Mr.

Chicago, September 16.-The confer
ence on the uses and abuses of trusts
closed it's session today in a blaze OF
oratory in which Colonel w. ]. Bryan
and w. Bourke Cochran were the CEN
trail figures. Mr.. Cochran followed the
noted Nebraskan, but disclaimed any
intention Of debating the conclusions of
his complete concurrence in much that
Mr.. Bryan had said.
The westerner had delivered the
speech Of the day during the forenoon
amid frequent Interruptions of tumul-
tuous applause
Mr.. Foulke, of Indiana, commenting
on the speech, made assertions which
Mr.. Bryan desired further to discuss.
He was requested to take the stage and
complied, for the second time facing
a wildly enthusiastic audience.
At the conclusion Mr.. Cochran rose
and observed: Just a few words"
The spectators wanted more and re-
fused to subside until he had taken
the platform. He agreed with Mr..
Bryan, he said, but he wanted informa-
ton.
The crowd which greeted Colonel
Bryan when the doors of the music hail
were thrown open amounted almost to
a mob, so eager were they to enter. The
place was jammed from pit to gallery
with admirers of the NebraSkan. When
he had concluded his speech 80 per cent.
of the audience departed, leaving a few
struggling spectators to listen to the
remaining speakers.
BRYAN'S SPEECH.
Central music hall, the scene of the
Civic Federation conference on trusts
and combinations, was packed from pit
to gallery when w. ]. Bryan delivered
his reply to w. Bourke Cochran on the
trust question.
Mr.. Bryan was introduced by Gov
etrnor Stanley, of Kansas, who acted
as chairman Of the opening session.
Wild applause greeted the Nebraskan.
w Bourke Cochran listened intently
and joined frequently in applause. Mr..
Bryan spoke in part as follows:
within two years more trusts have
been organized than in the previous
history of the country and the people
now come face to face with this Cues
ton:
''Is the trust a blessing or curse?
If a curse, what remedy can be ap-
piled to the curse?
fensible from any standpoint and in
tolerable. 1 do not divide monopolies.
There can be no good monopoly in pri-
vate hands until the Almighty sends
US angels to preside over us.
There may be one despot who is
better than another despot, but there
is no good despotism. The defence of
monopoly is always placed on the
ground that if you will allow people to
control the market and. fix the price
they will be good to the people who
purchase Of them. The entire defense
of trusts rests upon money argument.
If the trusts will sell an article for a
dollar less than the article will cost un
der other conditions, then in the opin
ion of some that proves a trust to be a
good thing.
'In the first place 1 deny that under
a monopoly the price will be reduced.
"In the second place, if under a mo-
nopoly the price is reduced, the objec-
tions to a monopoly from other stand
points far outweigh the financial ad-
vantage the trust would bring. But
I protest against settling every ques-
tion upon the dollar argument.
''In the early years Of Lincoln's ad-
ministration he sent a message to con-
gress, warning his countrymen against
the approach of monarchy. He said
he saw in the attempt to put capital
in the structure of government. the ap
proach of monarchy. Lincoln was
right Whenever you put capital
upon an equal footing with ..suor, or
above labor in the structure Of govern
ment, you are on the road ta aid a gov
ernment that rests not on reason but
on force
Nothing is more important than that
we shall in the beginning rightly under
stand the relation between money and
man. Man in the creature of God and
money is the servantOf man, and pro-
test against all theories that enthrone
and debase mankind.
eff you will go about over the coun-
try you will see where people have sub
scribed money to establish enterprises,
and where those enterprises, having
come under the control of the trusts
have been closed up and stand now as
silent monuments to the Sodom Of the
trust system. In any case or local
strikes and fires, the. work goes on
loss.
when q branch of industry is found
in the hands of one Of the great mo-
nopolies so that every skilled man
must go to one man for employment,
the one man fixes the wages as he
pleases and the laboring men will then
share the suffering Of the man who
sells the raw material.
sI want to warn you that when the
1nonopoly has absolute control, brains
will he at a discount. We have not yet
had a taste Of complete trust. But
when the rust has rid itself of all COM
petitors what is going to be the re-
suit? My friends, all you have to
know is human nature. God made man
selfish.
"On the farm we used to protect
nroperty from the hogs by putting
rings in their noses Why? So that