Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1900-10-20
SENATOR JONES' TRUST
DEMOCRATIC MANAGER HOLDS THE
COTTON GROWERS BY
THE THROAT.
What the Round Cotton Bale Trust
Is and Why Mr.. Bryan Does Not
DenOunce 1t When on
the Saump.

Senator ]. K. Jones, chairman of the
Democratic national committee, is a
| defendant in a proceeding brought
| under the antitrust law of Texas. He
| has company in his trouble John b..
Searles, known in Wall street as one
of the biggest trust magnates," is a
co-defendant.) The Texans have placed
these two gentlemen under fire because
they are the heaviest stockholders in
concefn known as the American Cot
ton company. John E. Searles is pres
ident of the organization.
The chairman of the Democratic ma
tional committee says his company is
but "a large business concern" But
the Texans-and Texas is Democratic
state-think differently. It is charged
that the Jones-Searles combination
constitutes conspiracy against law
full trade and free competition.
The American Cotton company is
monopoly if there ever was one. Not
only is it entrenched behind $7,000,000
capital stock, but it is fortified by pat
ents which exclude the possibility Of
competition.
Nicolls Stock Exchange Handbook,
q recognized authority, says: '"The
American Cotton company is a corpor-
alton which controls the patents for
machinery and processes in making
round-lap bales"
"ControlS'-that word itself is sug-
gestive of the octopus" 1t is the
word over which Mr.. Bryan fumed in
his ST. Louis denunciation of trusts.
Every cotton ginning plant in the
South must have one of the machines
manufactured by the American Cotton
company. They save time and money.
The cotton ginner must make his ar
rangements with the Jones-Searles
combination. 1t has exclusive posses
sion of the field. The ginner must
come to the terms of the combination.
He can deal no place else. He cannot
even buy independence from this
81, OO0,0 900 combination. The American
Cotton company refuses to sell it's
product. 1t leases it's machines. The
manufacturer attaches one to his plant
and yearly pays tribute to the Ameri-
can Cotton company. So great are the
profits of this combination that in the
short time the concern has been in ex-
istence Senator Jones is said to have
risen from the estate of a compare
lively poor man until he is now re-
garded as a millionaire. And the
Southern ginners continue to swell the
bank account of the Democratic cam
paign manager. f.
William Jennings Bryan, in his de-
nunciation of trusts at st. Louis gave
a list Of the great corporations of the
country. He left out the American
Cotton company and the American Ice
company. The others he denounced
But these two Democratic organiza-
lions he ignored. He exclaimed: Those
who attempt to divide private monop-
olies into good monopolies and bad
mcnopolies will never make any prog
ress toward the overthrow Of trusts" /
Therefore Mr.. Bryan will not succeed
as trust smasher.
Even in making his division in mo-
nopolies Mr.. Bryan showed strong dis
elimination. He specified such con-
Germs as the Federal Steel company.
Yet this concern is only one of several
iron and steel companies in the coun- \
try. No one is forced to do business
with the Federal Steel There are the
American Steel and Wire company, the
Republic Iron and Steel company, the
National Steel company, the Carnegie
company. And there are others. But
Mr.. Bryan made his division in favor
OF the American Ice company, which
had absolute control over the prices in
New York city, and which, last spring,
turned upon the poor of the tenement
house districts and added to its wealth
by the suffering Of the poverty
stricken. And Mr.. Bryan makes his
division in favor Of a concern which is
SO fortified that every cotton ginning
plant is forced to pay tribute to it.
1t depends, when Mr.. Bryan de-
nounces trusts. upon whose OK is being
goaded.
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