Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-09-18
Mr.. Bryan on Trusts.

i'A' NAAt IA - bt1N VI AAtSt June.
At the great antitrust gathering
held in Chicago a year ago this month.
Mr.. Bryan declared in a long and i'm
passioned speech that he was heartily
in favor of constitutional amendment
that would enable Congress ID destroy
every trust in the country, ANA yet
when just such an amendment, giving
Congress precisely this power. was be-
fore the National House of Represent
atiVes where it had been reported by
the Republican judiciary committee the
ltrst day of last June, only four mem
bers of his party could be found in that
body with the courage to vote for it,
Nothing could more effectually show
the utter hollowness and insincerity Of
Mr.. Bryan's antitrust declarations al
the Chicago meeting. There is not a
man in this country who does not
know that if Mr. Bryan had been sin
cere in declaring in favor of a con
Stitutional amendment which would
give the Federal Government power to
regulate or suppress trusts in all the
States Of the Union, he could easily
have given such an amendment the fun
vote of his party when il came up in
the National House. The fact that
only four members Of his party could
| be found 10 vote for it when il reached
a ballot on the first day Of June last,
/ is conclusive evidence that he was not
! only not in favor OF such an amend
ment, but that his whole influence was
eXerted among the members Of his
party in Congress to insure its defeat
The reason for this is obvious The
most notorious trusts in this country
are Democratic Institutions Mr..
| Bryan himself has been from his first
entrance the leading representative Of
/ the powerful silver trust controlled by
the bonanza mine owners Of the north
west, ana il has been openly stated
and never denied by him. that he was
II f1r some years carried upon its pay
/ roll. However much, therefore. he
may talk about the suppression Of
! trusts. the fact remains that he viii
never promote the enactment of any
! Legislation that would place it in the
\ power Of the Federal Government To
secure their control or suppression
His antitrust talk is purely for politi-
cal effect. and he has shown his dis
position ana ability when the critical
time has come to take care Of his trust
friends
The constitutional amendment which
would have given the United States
| government full control over the trusts
in this country b. superseding state
Legislation in dealing with them. would
have required a two-thirds Vote Of the
House and Senate to have insured its
submission to the American people.
Now Mr., Bryan and his followers have
always professed q profound faith in
the justice and good sense Of the
American masses, and yet when this
proposed amendment to the consttu-
Ition. placing the control Of trusts en-
Itircly in the hands Of the Federal
Government, came up in the National
House Of Representatives upon the
Judiciary committee, the vote stood 1874
i'll its favor to 132 opposed. Of the 154
VINO voted for it. 1870 were Republicans,
ana Of the 1872 who voted against it,
129 were Democrats and PopuHsts-
This is the plain record Of fact. and in
view of it the utter hypocrisy Of
Mr. Bryans antitrust professions
stands out in strong relief 1t is the
Language Of the demagoguc.
Not only is Mr. Bryan the personal
friend of trusts in this country. but he
has not hesitated during the past four
years to use the free advertising
which he secured through his candi-
dacy for the presidential nomination
for the furtherancc Of his own finan-
cial interests,
Not long ago a little community in
the state of Kansas collected a fund
Of 5000 and wrote Mr.. Bryan to see if
he would come, for that price, and give
them an evenings talk. They re-
ceived a reply from him stating that
his services were worth $500 an hour.
They. therefore, failed to hear the
Isonorous voice of fhe Democratic
candidate. but he will not fail to hear
from them when the votes are counted
on election day, next November.
Four years age when Mr.. Bryan ran
for the presidency of The United
States he was conceded to be a poor
man. Today he is said to be the rich
est man in his home city, and one Of
the wealthiest i'll his state. No one
viii undertake to say that this money
Idid not come to him honestly, al
though the good taste of the methods
employed by him in securing it is Ger
family omen To urpStiOn and does not