The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-09-29
BEYERIDGE AT
HIS BEST ON The
TRUST Problem.
Presents the Question In Simple Ian
gunge-Trust Examples From
Common Vacations of Life.
ORGANIZED LABOR A TRUST.
Shows Benefits Of Department Stores
and New Inventions-Meets With
Royal Reception in Nebraska.

In from the surrounding country and
swellcd the crowd OF townspeople. The
senator said In part:
Ladies and Gentlemen:-Mr. Bryan
owns a farm. know this, because I
have read it In the newspapers.
know It, because l have seen photo
graphs Of Mr.. Bryan on his farm.
am not farmer now, but I was a
farmer once. And when was a farm
er. worked at the business. The diff
ference between Il farmer who works
at the profession and the farmer who
only works at the name. is just the DIFF
ference between 4 man and his photo
graph. So think can talk to the
farmers with more authority than Mr..
Bryan. And as he talks to them about
trusts, also will talk to them about
trusts. What is trust? 1t is 4 great
combination Of capital, designed to
simplify and unity business, or great
combination OF labor. designed to SIM
pllfy and unity industry. 1t Is easy to
see, therefore, that there can be good
trusts and bad trusts. Just rs there
can be good men and bad men. A
trust Is good trust when 1t performs
the work for which 1t has been organ
lied. and produces better goods at
cheaper prices and delivers them to the
consumer more conveniently than q
dozen different concerns could do.
Consumer Sovereign Factor.
The consumer is the sovereign factor
In civilization. The well-being OF the
masses is the result Of every industrial
development that endures. A trust is
bad trust when it raises prices dis
honestly and without other reason than
to satisfy the greed of It's managers. a
man Is bad man when he steals; and
when he does that he ought to be put
In Jail. a trust is n bad trust when 1t
dishonesty raises prices; and when 1t
does that 1t ought to be restrained or
put out OF existence. But because one
man steals Is no reason why all men
should be put In Jail; and because one
trust Is dishonest Is no reason why all
trusts should he: Destroyed Mr.. Dryaa
is In favor OF destroying all comblna-
tons OF capital. We are In favor OF
destroying only such combinations of
capital as oppress the people, just ls
you are In favor of putting In jail only
such men as commit larceny or murder
or arson.
a Trust Operated by Every Farmer.
Let me give the farmers n perfect
Illustration Of trust that every farm
er In this country operates himself.
That trust is the self-blndng harvcs-
ter. I got the Job OF driving the first
self.blnding harvester that was sen;
to central Illinois by the McCormicks.
1t was an old wire-binder. It was n
trust. 1t was the only trust I have
ever had anything to do with. 1t did
what several different machines and
implements were required TO do before.
In enabled the farmer himself to har-
vest and market his grain at much
less cost than he was able to do before.
The first season the self-bndlrg har-
vester appeared in central Illinois. the
same arguments were advanced against
1t that are now advanced against
trusts. It was said that 1t threw labor
out OF employment.
Independent Landed Gentry.
1t was said II would result In each
farmer becoming n sort of independent
landed gentry like the great landlords
OF England. and that he would not need
any help from the day-laborers whom
he had Heretofore hired to do his har-
resting. There were even talks OF
mobs TO burn up the self-binders. But
men who thought they were thrown out
or employment by II. found that they
were not: but that there were other
employmcrlts. easier employment and
better-pald employments in other d.
rcctlons than all the hard work that
harvesting by hand afforded them. that
the new conditions created by this self
binder furnished them other and bet
ter employment. Every labor-saving
machine is n mechanical trust, md yet
moro laborins mon are employed to-
day. and Mt hlger wages and with
shorter hours than ever before In hui
man history.
Example Of the Binder.
The sclf-binder enabled tho farmer to
market his grain cheaper than he was
ablo to do before. So the trust enables
the producers To nroducc cbe, ncr th,n
they did before. Tho sn,r.bIndrr there.
fore ,ncreasps tho formor,s nrorts bo.
caus It enabled him IN morkot hIa rr,i,
cheaper: and that ia right Tho tru,,
enables its managers to nroilucc chcon.
or thon they did hcrorc. md Incrn.,s,, L.,
profits coming from that Is legitimate, "
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