The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-06-02
THE TRUSTS VS.. THE PEOPLE.
William j. Bryan for the People
and the Democratic Party, Ar
raignS the Trusts.
From the New York World, May 81.

From the New YORK Norlu May a.
On the evening of May %, at Lincoln,
Nebraska, Mr.. Bryan gave the following
to reporter of this paper
The trust principle is not new princi-
pie, but the trust principle is manifesting
itself in so many ways and the trusts have
grown so rapidly that people now fee
alarmed about trusts who did not fee
alarmed four years ago. The trust ques-
ton has grown in Importance, because
within two years more trusts have been
organized than were organized In all the
previous history of the coutry.
MONOPOLY INDEFENsIBLE ALWAYS.
I want to start with the declaration that
a monopoly in private hands is indefenslble
from any standpoint and intolerable.
make no exceptions to the rule. | do not
divide monopolies into good monoplles and
bad monopolies. There can be no good
monopoly. There may be one despot who
is better than another despot, but there Is
no good despotism. One trust may be less
harmful than another One trust magnate
may be more BENEVOLENT than another. But
there is no good monopoly in private hands,
and do not believe it is safe for society to
permit any man or group of men to monp-
ollie any article of merchandise or any
branch of industry.
What is the defense made Of monopolyi
1t is always placed on the ground that II
YOU allow a few people to control the mar
ket and fix the price they will be good to
the people who purchase of them The
entire defense of the trusts rests upon a
money argument. If the trust will sell to
a man an article for dollar less than the
article will cost under other conditions then,
it is said, trust is a good thing. In the
first place, | deny that under monopoly
the price will be reduced, the objections
far outweigh any financial advantage that
the trust could bring. Money Is made 70
he the servant of man, and protest against
all theories that enthrone money aud de
base mankind
QUOTES a FAMOUS MAKER or TRUSTS.
Charles r. Flint, at Boston on the 10Th
day Of last May, defended trust principles
before and exceedingly sympathetic audi
ence. 1t was composed almost exclusively
Of Boston bankers.
quote a few of the advantages to be
derived from trusts from this high author
ty. First he declares
.sRa,c material bought ia large qsaati-
Ties IL secgred al l0trer prices.
That is the first advantage One man
TO buy wool for all the WOODEN manutac-
turers. That means that every man who
sells wool must sell it at the price fixed 10y
this one purchaser in the United States.
The first thing is to lower the price 81 raw
material. The great majority of the PEG
pie are engaged in the production OF raw
material and in the purchase Of finished
products. Comparatively few can stand at
the head of syndicates and monopoles and
secure the profits from them Therefore
the first advantage of monopoly Is to
lower the price of the raw materials fur
nished by the people. Note the next adj
vantage
"7hose plants 'chich are best equipped
and most GdraRtageossty situated are run
continuously and IN preference 70 t'ose less
tafpored .
The next thing after they have bought
all the factories is to close some OF them and
to turn out Of employment the men who
are engaged in them. If YOU viii 90 about
ever the country you will see where people
have subscribed money 10 establish enter
prises. and where these enterprises, having
come under the control Of trusts, have been
closed. and stand now silent monuments OF
the trust system. Behold the next ad-
vantage. Mr.. Flint says
III, case Of looal strikes or .fres, The
cork goes OF elsewhere, thus Prereatiag
serious loss.
MONOPOLY METHODS.
This means that if the people employed
in one factory are not satisfied with the
terms fixed by the employers and strike,
the trust can close that factory aud let the
EMPLOYEES starve while work goes on IN
other factories without loss to the manu-
factur4r.
Ii means that when the trust has frozen
1at the striking employees in one factory
and compelled them to return to work at
apy price. it can provoke strike some
where else and freeze the workmen out
there. When branch Of industry is en-
tirely in the hands Of one great monopoly,
so that every skilled man in that industry
has to go to the one man for employment,
then that one man will tx wages as he
pleases and the laboring man will share the
suffering of the man who sells the raw ma
terials.
"Therc is no multiplication q he means
of distribution, and better .torce q sales
men takes the place Of a htrge number.
That is the next advantage named. |
want to warn you that when the monopoly
has absolute control brains viii be at a dis
count and relatives viii be found to fight
for these positions. When there Is com
petition every employer has to get good
man to meet competition, but when there
is no competition anybody can SIT in the
Office and receive letters and answer them,
because everybody has to write to the same
house for everything he wants. Mr. Flint
saws trusts have another advantage
s'Teya,s and conditions Of sale beeoH'e
more uniform and credit can b. more safely
granted y
The trust can not only fix the price of
what it sells, but it can fix the terms upon
which it sells. Aud the purchaser must
trust to the manager generosity as to what
is fair.
THAT Is HUMAN NATURE.
What is the first thing to be expected
of a trust? That it will cut down expenses.
What is the second That it will raise
prices That is human nature. God
made men selfish | do not mean to say
that He made mistake when He did, be
cause selfshness is merely the outgrowth
of an instinct of self-preseryation. 1t Is
the abnormal development of a man 5 de-
sire to protect himself. | often wish we
might have a condition in which every
adult who died might leave to his widow
and children enough property for the edu-
cation of his children and the support of
his widow Society would be benefited,
because if a man dies and leaves no pro-
vision for his wife and children the burden
falls upon society. But while | wish to
see every person secure for himself com
petencv, | don want him to destroy more