The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-10-12

Bryan and his political adherents
decry, has increased in strength and
spread its operations everywhere.
What has labor lost by this2 Surely
nothing, for in the cheapening of the
rate of money and credit, the use of
which the banker sells to the man of
business his employer has been en-
abled to take on wider scope of oper-
alton and increase the number of those
whom he employs.
A single word as to the patriotism
of bankers and am done with this
branch of my subject. Mr.. Bryan, by
his charges, impugns their patriotism
and good faith. To his SANDER l reply
by asking whenever was the govern
ment of this great nation, in it's early
days or in its. later years, in periods of
foreign war or civil strife, or in the
piping times of peace, in pressing
need that the banker, with the mil
lions at his command failed to give
aid and succor in unfolding the coun-
try's credit and the nations financial
integrity? While others doubted the
country's solvency and withdrew gold
from treasury and vault to hoard, he,
full-firm in his faith in the ultimate
integrity of the nation, aided the
maintenance of national solvency to
the benefit of all. In view of such a
history ask, with all confidence, are
not the interests of labor better safe
guarded by the political views of that
organization which gathers to itself in
this campaign the support of an inter
est which you have trusted and are
still trusting than with party whose
leadership rests wholly in the keeping
of self seeking politicians?
The difficulty with Mr.. Bryan's
craftsmanship is that it is statesman
ship of prejudice, class distinctions,
and transformation. 1t is a states
manship which takes no thought of the
morrow, but contents itself with the
political advantage of today. ven
ture the statement that in all the range
of American political annals there
never has appeared public man who
has Illuminated so many different
questions with so much misinforma-
ton. The leadership of Mr. Bryan
found its origin in the peculiar condi-
tions of the world of business and
labor four years since. 1t has main
tanned itself, because in the Bryaniz-
ing of the organization the Democracy
has been denuded of every leader of
thought, sagacity, and high political
principle. 1t has now neither ability
for political organization nor capacity
for wise, safe, or conservative legisla
tion.
In the campaign upon which we
have now entered the Democratic can
didate, changing from the issue an
nounced at the opening as paramount,
has taken up the discussion of the
f,.1,c IL -Er%o IL.
fact, l think, when l say he is discus
sing this issue in the manner which
has characterized all the other discus
public He does not undertake to go
into the merit Of the question, for that
would not be Organism. He knows
that such a course must eliminate the
political advantage which he seeks for
his party to his own advancement,
and therefore he does not make it.
The argument which he makes is ad-
dressed to prejudice, backed up by his
misstatements, illogical in presenta-
tion, and unfair in deduction. There
is no man Of any prominence today
standing in defense of illegal combina-
lions of capital, whether great or
small, formed for the purpose of
throttling all competition, raising
the price of articles of consumption,
and burdening the people. But there
are vast number who, recognizing
the economic soundness in the added
volume of business to be obtained
through aggregated capital, properly
brought together and wisely managed,
deny that from such any harm flows
either to the consumer or the laborer.
They go further, and assert, with an
emphasis not to be mistaken, that
far from being harmful, such COM
binations are, on the contrary, pro-
ductive of good, most of all to the
laboring man.. l am not speaking
for combinations illegal, unsound,
and unsafe, but solely for those which
though large in the amount of CAPT
tai invested, have regard for all the
rules which control in ordinary bust
ness affairs. On principle, do not
perceive why there is more harm or
danger to the interests of the citizens
because thousand men are employed
by one concern instead of 100, or
81, 600, 900 of capital invested rather
than 800, 600.
The fact is, and Mr.. Bryan on in
vestigation would have asserted it,
that as rule labor is more steadily
employed and better paid under cor
porations having a large invested
capital and employing many men,
than under those having a small CAPT
tai and a few men. In such a corpora
tion there is always an ability and
power to adjust the work, which I'M
der any circumstances is large, to the
prevailing situation, so that at no
time are all the men idle for any con-
siderable length of time. The wage
question with such is more easily set
tied and for a longer length of time,
for as rule the manager and the
laborer readily recognizes the beneh-
cial results to both of cooperation and
combination.
again submit that if combination
of capital neither increases the price
to the consumer, nor diminishes the
number of laborers, nor the amount
of wage, it cannot be either menace
to society or a detriment to the pub
lie good 1t certainly does not present
such situation in the country 8
affairs as to demand unusual laws or
extraordinary action. The laws which
apply to the dealings of daily business
life are sufficient. the laws which make
requisite common honesty and fair
dealing between man and man. [ am
certain that in so far as the laborer
and employer are concerned the best
interests lie in the direction of closer
relations established, more mutual
confidence entertained, and the Guilt
walton of that deep sense of respect
the one toward the other which always
has regard for individual right and
Justice | am not a. believer in that