The Portland daily press., 1900-10-06
Gives Labor Men Some
Good Advice.
Urges That Trusts Are Not Nee
essarily Bad.

Chicago, October 5.-James H, Eckels,
ez-com ptroller OF the treasury, spoke in
the Auditorium tonight to an audience
that packed the great hall as tightly as
it could be paeKSd, hundreds Of people
being turned away.
The meeting was under the auspices
Of the Business Mems Sound Money As
ISOLATION and embraced men Of all parties
who oppose the Is to plank of the DEM,
ocratic platform. Mr.. Eckels was intro
duced by William Davis of Chicago, pres
ident Of the Amalgamated Association Of
Iron and Steel Workers who made short
address. The iron and steel Industries
were strongly represented in the meeting.
Mr.. Eckels spoke as follows:
In opening his speech, Mr.. Eckles said:
81 propose in this campaign, as Dem
ocrat, to support William Mckinley, the
nominee Of the Republican party for re-
election to the presidential office and on
that behalf, 1 am upon this platform.
The speaker went on to point out that
the overwhelming mass of business in
terests in this country repudiated the
statements and the views expressed and
held by Mr.. Bryan. not from political
or class prejudice but because they want
only stability in money, equity in law
and wisdom of word and action in the
executive. They dIstrust MI. Bryan,
because he has made 1t impossible for
them to trust him.
''Who, he asked, 'are the men who
have most at stake in this country?
Are they the Bryans or the Tillmans, the
Altgelds or the Weavers, the Townes
or the Crokers.''
y call your attention to the fact that
these men and all their associates who
write the platforms, map out the policies
and control the action of the Democra-
tic party as today that party reveals it.
self, are men who know no calling, but
politics and contribute nothing to the
support of their fellows beyond the emo
uments OF such political offices as they
may by chance secure
Speaking to the laboring men he said:
81 am certain despite some Individual
Injustice here and Individual injustice
there, you are better off at present and
will be in the future, by. acting with those
who employ labor and not making COM
mon cause with men who neither them
selves labor outside Of the realm in poll
tics for their own advancement nor give
employment to others.''
Mr.. Eckels then took up the antagon-
ism of Mr.. Bryan to aggregated wealth
and the trusts. Banks, he said, furnish
the life.blood OF trade. The laborer
ought not to lose sight Of the fact that
If it was not for the assistance Of banks
in granting to the manufacturers neces-
sary credit during the process Of manu-
featuring that wages might notbe met be.
fore payment for the finished article is
received from the purchaser while with al
most every great institution, operation
would either be greatly reduced or cease
altogether.
Mr.. Eokels warned the laboring men
against taking part in the assault on the
banks which would fall nowhere more
heavily than on the savings institutions
1.-THE difficulty with Mr.. Bryan
craftsmanship, he said, sis that it is
a statesmanship of prejudice, class dis
tinotions and transformation, It is a
craftsmanship which takes no thought
of the morrow but contents itself with
the political advantage Of today
"Mr. Bryan's leadership has neither
ability or political organization nor ca
paoity for wise, safe or conservative con-
structive legislation. In the last analysis
the leadership Of Mr.. Bryan demonstrates
itself to begin and end in denunciation
Of the existing order Of things"
The speaker then went into an elabo-
rate defense of combinations Of capital
which, though large in the amount of
capital invested, have regard for all the
rules which control in ordinary business
affairs. He said that as a result ofEmis-
information what is called a trust is not
a trust but the highest development of
a complicated and efficient form of civili-
zation, made more manifest as man is
more and more removed from the influ-
ence of ignorance and barbaFism. In all
this evolution in our Industrial world,
said Mr.. Eckels, 1 re-assert that no loss
has come to labor. The economies intro
duced. have not reached't to him. On the
other hand, whatever changes have been
wrought and there have been many.
have been to his advantage. I am against
the interference with the affairs of en-
ployer and employee by demagogic law
makers, blatant politicians and self ap-
pointed leaders seeking personal and
political advantage. As against all
those I would set for labor the wise
oounsels OF those Of their own rank who
are not in politics and the business sense of
right and justice Of their employers.
In the most elaborate manner Mr..
Eokels pictured the disaster consequent
upon the enforcement Of Mr.. Bryan
views on silver and the effect upon the
laboring man and said that he would