The Lamar register., 1900-10-17
A TRUST sMAsHERs HOLIDAY.

1.-THE Democratic party" said Mr..
Bryan, In his Indianapolis speech of
acceptance, has no desire to discour-
age Industry" Mr.. Bryan's repeated
assertion of sympathy with the farmer
and the working man are well known.
Such are Mr.. Bryan's professions. Yet
as the direct result of Mr.. Bryan's eff
forts Nebraska is threatened with the
loss of its second largest manufactur-
ing industry using raw material from
the farm.
In 1887 residents of Nebraska City
organized the Argo Starch company
and built factory. The concern has
been continuously prosperous. For
many years 1t has given steady en-
ployment to nearly 800 persons, paid
them each year from $250,OOO to $780,
600 in wages. and bought each year
], 900, 900 bushels of corn from the
neighboring farmers.
In 1899 the Argo Company sold Its
plant for cash to the United States
Starch Company, which in turn sold 1t
to the National Starch Company. The
Argo and United companies divided
their assets and were dissolved. Their
shareholders had made a good profit
and were perfectly satisfied. The fac
tory continued in operation, is still
working with full force, and neither its
employees nor the farmers who sell 1t
corn make any complaint.
But Mr.. Bryan was anxious to give
the country an 'object lesson" So he
stirred his friend Smythe. the Populist
action against the National Starch
Company as a trust. If this suit should
succeed the Argo factory would be
closed, 800 people thrown out of work,
and the nelghboring farmers deprived
of an assured market for 1,000,O00
bushels of corn each year. Ruin stares
Nebraska City in the face, for one
third of its population Is directly in
terested in the starch factory. Con-
sequently the people of that unfortun-
ate town raised such a clsmor that on
Wednesday evening Mr. Bryan went
there to excuse and defend his attack
upon them.
He told them thaA Key ought to be
glad to sacrifice perty and,em-
ployment to - trust-sliyR Rsh-
ing, and rela defending Il
this promise: II, s.N6alc OF the peo-
pie of this county and state, am Rade
president, will do all can to disQAve
the starch trust and leave the ArgO an
Independent Nebraska City company"
lie ulu not explain now he could COM
pei dissolved corporation to resume
business. or how he could force its
former shareholders to operate a fac
tory which they sold at profit and
were paid for more than a year ago.
That the people of Nebraska City per-
mitted Mr.. Bryan to speak without any
interruption proves them to be strictly
law-abiding and courteous.
The policies of former presidential
candidates have been assailed as tend
ing to destroy industry and throw men
out of work. Mr.. Bryan is the first
presidential candidate to take direct
measures to deprive farmers of an as
sured market and to throw 300 work
ing men and women into the street.
The American people have in Mr..
Bryan's attempt to ruin Nebraska City
an "object lesson" in his love for the
farmer and the laborer which they
should not forget. For such a deliber-
ate assault upon the work and wages
of hundreds of people, merely to make
trust-smasher's holiday, recent indus
trial history affords no parallel.-Chi-
cago Inter Ocean.