The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-05-04
BRYAN CHEERED
BY THOUSANDS.
His DenunciatiOn Of the Trusts
Was a Masterpiece.
THE "LONG RUN" TRUST
Given Scoring That Was Most CIeverIy
PRESENTS Tariff a Prolofic source
of Combinations That Are
kuinOus,

Columbus, May 2.-William j. Bryan
addressed an audience of 10000 people !
at the auditorium, in this city, last
night. He was received with the Wild
est enthusiasm. John j. Lentz presided.
During the course Of his address Mr..
Bryan said
you believe that the Republican
party will destroy trusts. Back of
these industrial trusts you will find the
same men who stand behind the gold
standard; the same men who shouted
until they were red in the face denounc-
ing the fifty-cent dollar in 1896 now
have their bank vaults full Of trust GER
tificates that do not represent twenty
five cents on the dollar of money actu-
ally invested in the property. And you
expect those people to exert themselves
to destroy the value of the trust GER
tficates they hold? You talk to one of
these magnates about the trusts, and
see how complacent he is. John L.
Mitchell. of the Illinois Trust and Saw
ings bank, of Chicago, gave out an in
terview a while back and he said: IN
the long run the trusts can do no harm
In the long run! But what consolation
not stand the long run? What consola-
ton Is that to the man who is the VIC
tim of extortion while the trusts last?
What consolation Is that to the man
who is bankrupted in business before
the run is completed? But don't worry.
The long run trusts can do no harm.
1.-THE Standard Oil company raises
the price Of oil three or four cents a
gallon, declares a dividend of $50, ,000, 900
on 500. 100000 Of stock, and every man
who buys oil contributes to the dividend.
But don't worry. In the long run
trusts can do no harm.
You have heard various remedies
proposed for the trusts, not by the Re-
publicans, but by Democrats. You have
heard Democrats suggest that the tar
iff is a protection to the trusts. 1t is
correct. The tariff on the trust-made
article builds a barrier, and the trust
can exact from the American people
a price for the article produced equal to
the foreign price. or plus the tariff. 1t
exert their power. You have heard it
said that railroad discrimination helps
the trusts. 1t is true. The Standard
Oil Trust once had a contract with an
eastern railroad whereby the Standard
Oil company not only got lower rates
for freight, but got part Of the freight
that its rivals paid. Discrimination in
freight rates have helped these trusts
to practice their extortions on the pub
lie. 1 believe that the gold standard,
with it's rising dollar and it's falling
prices, has been one Of the causes that
have driven men together to protect
themselves by combination from that
money standard.
But, my friends, I believe there is
a simple remedy. I proposed it. You
may not like it. I believe that with it
you can destroy every monopoly in pri-
vate hands. The state can do it. 1t can
not do everything without taking from
the state a single right that it now has.
l would have congress declare that be-
fore any corporation organized in any
state shall do business outside of the
state it shall take out a license from
the Federal government that will en-
able it to do business in other states up
on the conditions imposed by those
states.
But it cannot do business outside Of
the state of it's origin until 1t complies
with certain conditions necessary for
the public welfare, and before that Ii
cense is good let the water be squeezed
out of the stock of the corporation.
There will be a flood for while Qaugh-
teri, but you will go more than half
way towards destroying every private
monopoly. Squeeze the water out of
the stock and make it an honest corpo-
ration, organized for honest business,
and every honest corporation ought to
help US to squeeze the water out of the
dishonest ones. Then provide, as a sec
ond condition, that before the license
Is granted the corporation must show
that it is not attempting to monopolize
! any branch of business or the produc-
ton of any article of merchandise, and
then provide that the license shall be
forfeited If the conditions are violated.
Apply that law and believe you can
destroy every private monopoly and
prevent the creation Of a new one.
Colonel Bryan talked at length also
on the Philippine and financial ques-
tions. One sentence in his reference
to the money question was:
HNayer will we have a. safe financial
system until we restore silver and place
it by the side of gold. at the ratio Of
16 to l."
At the close of his speech Colonel
Bryan was given a reception by the
board Of trade.