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
rrom the SEE York VIZ, May q.

NcDTdska. MI iuJdh Ehs~ ~ ''-sN'-'-
to a reporter Of this paper
The trust principle is not new princi-
Die. but the trust principle is manifestIng
itself in 50 many ways and the trusts have
grown 50 rapidly that people now feel
alarmed about trusts who did not feel
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 INDEFESsIBLE ALWAYS.
| want TO start with the declaration that
monopoly in private hands is indefensible
from any standpoint and intolerabie l
make no exceptions to the rule l do not
divide moDopoIies into good monoplies and
bad monopolies. There can be no good
monopoly. There may be one desPot who
il better than another despot, but there IS
no GOOD despotisn One trust may be less
harmful than another. One trust magnate
NAV be more BENEVOLENT than another. But
there is no good monopoly in private hands,
and I do not believe it is safe for society to
permit any man or group Of men to monp-
ollie aDy article of merchandise or any
branch Of industry.
What Is the defense made Of monopoly
It is always placed on the ground that II
YOU allow 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
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 il 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 to
be the servant of man, and protest against
all theories that enthrone money and de-
base mankind.
oUoTEs A FAMOUS MAKER OF TRUSTS.
Charles X. Flint, at Boston on the 10Th
day of last May, defended trust principles
before and exceedingly sympathetic audi
ence. Ii was composed almost exclusively
of Boston bankers.
I ouote few of the advantages to be
derived from trusts from this high authorl-
~. First he declares
"Rap materiat Jongh IN hrge quo"t'-
ties is secured at O,cer prices.
That is the first advantage. One man
tn buy wool for all the WOODEN manufac-
turers. That means that every man who
sells wool must sell it at the price fixed BY
this one purchaser in the United States
The first thing is to lower the price OF raw
material. The great majority OF the peo-
ple 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 monopolies and
secure the profits from them. Therefore,
the first advantage of monopoly Is TO
lower the price Of the raw materials inr-
nished by the people. Note the next adj
vantage
"7hose plants ehich are bet equipped
and most odcantageously situated are run
continuously and IN preference TO those tess
tarored
The next thing after they have bought
all the factories is to close some OF them and
to turn out of employment the men VINO
are engaged in them. If you will 20 about
over the country you will see where people
have subscribed money TO establish enter
prises, and where these enterprises, having
come nnder the control Of trusts, have been
closed. and stand now silent monuments OF
the trust system. Behold the next ad-
. AZ. Flint eava
"h case Of Iocat strikes or fires, Tie
pork qoes on elsewhere, thus preventing
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 and let the
EMPLOYEES starve while work goes on IN
other factories without loss TO the manu-
facturer.
1t means that when the trust has frozen
out the striking employees in one factory
and compelled them to return to work at
any price, it can provoke strike some
where else and freeze the workmen Out
there. When IA branch Of industry Is en-
tireIy in the hands Of one great monopoly
so that every skilled man IN that industry
has to 20 to the one man fur employment
then that one man will iix wages as HI
pleases and the laboring man will share thu
suffering of the man who sells the raw ma
terials
"There is no multiplication q HE mean
of distribution, and a better force Of sales
men takes he place Of a large number.
That is the next advantage named.
want to warn you that when the monopol.
has absolute control brains will be at dis
count and relatives will be found to fgh
for these positions. When there is com
petition every employer has to get goo
man to meet competition, but when Their
is no competition anybody can sit in tn
Office and receive letters and answer them
because everybody has to write to the sam
house for everything he wants. MIR. Film
saws trusts have another advantage
"Tern,s and conditions of sale becom
more uniform, and credit can be more satel
granted"
The trust can not only fix the price o
what it sells, but it can fix the terms upo
which it sells. Aud the purchaser mus
trust to the manager generosity as to wha
is fair.
ssTHAT Is HUMAN NATURE.
What is the first thing TO be expects
of a trust? That it will cut down expenses
What is the second? That it will rails
prices. That is human nature. Go
made men selfish. do not mean to sa.
that He made a mistake when He did, be
cause sefishness is merely the outgrowtl
of an instinct of self-preservation. 1t i
the abnormal development of u mans de
sire to protect himself. | often wish W
might have condition in which ever
adult who died might leave to his wido,