The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-06-07
lGborinE man can ana l don't believe

Garner n money borrower or a money
lender? He can't well be n noney-len-
der and sdn be a wage.earner, because
the statistics show that the wage-earn-
er seldom II ever makes more than
bare living. But il n man can't earn
moro than a living, he can't b. a mo-
ney-borrower to any extent. Therefore
II the wage-earner IS neither borrow
Or nor a lender. how is free silver going
to be Of any hencat to him? Maybe
Bryan can answer this question. l
can't.
Now, think we've gone fairly well
over the free-silver arguments Of 1898.
II they were sound then. mind you,
they're sound now. II they supported
financial scheme which was good for
the common people then. It's just as
good for the common people now. But
l think you will agree with me that we
have raised serious doubts MS to
whether It is Of any use whatever. Now,
as matter Of fact. Bryan doesn't rep
resent the common people at all. He
represents the mlddl. class--the farm
er, perhaps, although this is very
doubtful. with the prosperous times
now enjoyed by the farmer-and the
small tradesmnn. This middle class Is
almost as far removed from the com
mon people, the tollers, at all There
fore, why should the common people
support their candidate any more than
the candidate OF the capitalistic ciass?
As between the two. the toilers might
much better support the candidate Of
the capitalists, because they would
then be voting in favor OF continu-
ance Of the present prosperity and a
continuance Of the privilege Of earning
fair living under the present wage
system, which. Of course, We consider
wrong. But Bryan Is as much In favor
of that as Mckinley.
Brynn's Fallacious Trust Theories.
Now let US consider for moment
some OF the new issues OF this cam
palgn. some Of the things which Bryan
opposes. Take the trusts, for instance,
which Bryan is reported to have said
he considers the most important Of all
issues, He says that trusts are an eyil
and should be abolished or regulated
according TO a scheme OF legislation
which he has worked out. II he had
thought and read little more deeply
on the subject. he would see that he
cannot command the votes Of the pro-
letarint by advocating the destruction
or the curtailing OF trusts. We be-
ileve that ameiioration OF the condition
Of the common people, their salvation.
in fact, is the extension and fostering
Of all trusts until every enterprise is in
n trust and the nation is running them
all. Therefore, when our people come
to understand this. they can no better
support a man who would destroy or
regulate trusts than they can a man
who advocates free silver. Let me ex-
plain.
THE trust Is an evolution of COM
merce, You can no more destroy the
trust than you can put stop to the ev-
olutlon OF the human race. Now, the
greatest trust in this country is the
trust which controls the handling of the
mills. which for the time being we Will
call the postoGice trust. Before the
time Of Cromwell, farmers, or citizens
OF England who had horses and travel
LED frequently TO some town carried
/ the mails for their neighbors at price
agreed upon between them. In Crom-
welrs time a man named FIsH conceived
the idea Of one person or company chr
rysug the mails Tor everybody in Eng
land. fic consolidated oil the individual
mail carriers and formed the first trust
"a postodlce trust Then the govern
mpnt took tile Job from nm and gov
arnmquts have carried the mails ever
since.
Government Ownership Problems.
Now, why shouldn't this government
take hold OF other enterprises and run
them? We assert there is no reason,
but We admit that this can only come
after years OF development anG edura-
ton. It viii all come around IN time,
and by and by this government Will be
running the railroads and the telegraph
as wei! os the postoflce, That win be
the next step and from that one utility
will be taken up after another until this
government will be conducting all the
enterprises which to-day are under the
control Of trusts. Then the enterprises
Of the country win be all in one great
trust, with the government as the great
trust baron.
/ "But. as I said, this can't come in 4
minute, There could never be govern
mant ownership II there hadn't been
first trusts. such as we have to-day.
Therefore, we regard the trust as It is
a development, an evolution in our so-
cIai and economic system. Any attempt
TO annihilatc or regulate trusts Is to
rctard progress We don't want so
many that In the end not n few capt.
,alists, but everybody win be making
money out Of a trust, and by everybody
I mean the common people. Then we
win have the IDEAL commonwealth. Ev-