Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-11-03

the preservation OF this great nation.
(Applause). All that blood was
spilled, all that treasure spent, to the
end that slavery should be damned to
the lowest pit of hell. (Applause.)
They say the treaty has not yet been
ratified. | know it has not, and
trust to God that it never will be.
(Applause.)
Postmaster General Smiths defini-
ton of imperialism is THE assertion
of personal power without authority
of law" Why, il is the boast of Repub-
licans that the administration rules
over Porto Rico by authority of the flag
alone In the Philippines we find that
the President waged war without any
declaration by Congress. which is the
only war-declaring power. He APP
proved the treaty with the Sultan of
Sulu and permitted slavery in viola
ton of both the thirteenth and four
teenth amendments to the Constitu-
ton. 1t may be we have no right to
call it imperialism. | care not what
you call it-imperialism, McKinleyism,
Hannaism, infernalism (applause.) l
give you the facts, and you may nams
the child. (Applause.)
If we permit these things to go on,
what will the result be? We cannot
keep the Filpinos in subsection except
at the muzzle of a gun. This means an
increased navy, and increased taxa
ton. We will be compelled to build
up a big standing army. Who will
enlist? Where will you get the sol
diers? Do you suppose Mark Hanna
will go to war? Do you suppose the
millionaires will fill the ranks? No.
They will come from the factory, and
the farm, and the mine. Are not these
the people who will be compelled to
turn their backs on their families,
and homes, and country, and face the
fevers of an unwholesome climate and
the dangers of foreign battlefield?
For what purpose, and to what end?
Simply that the vanity Of the lingo
may be tickled, and the appetites of
the trusts may be fed. (Applause.)
They want the iron, the coal, the tim
Der; they want the franchises, the Ii
censes and privileges, and they care
not how much human blood it may
cost. (Applause.)
But l had forgotten about the trusts
Mr.. Hanna told us there is no such
thing as a trust, and Mr.. White comes
along and says Hanna is wrong, there
is trust, and remedial legislation is
needed. Then comes our friend, Mr.
Scott daughter and applause) and he
says they're both wrong. (Applause.)
He says Hanna is mistaken when he
says there are no trusts, and White is
mistaken when he speaks of the neces-
sity of remedial legislation, for the
truth is. there are trusts, and they are
"a good thing" (Applause) That
let's light in on some things. You will
remember that Scott is United States
Senator, and member of the National
Republican Committee. You also know
that during the last four years the
trusts have been increasing in number,
and no effort has been made by the
Republican party or administration to
enforce any existing laws against
them, or to enact any additional ones.
There they were with the Sherman
law on the statute books, and not a
single man from first to last lifted his
hand in opposition or his voice in pro-
test, and the American people were at
loss to know why this was, and now
Scott let's the Republican cat out Of
the bag, and tells you the reason-be-
cause in his judgment trusts are a
good thing.
How do the trusts operate upon the
farmers? Do they add to the price of
his eggs, his butter, his wheat, the
things he sels? What effect do they
have upon the articles he has to buy
for himself and family? In some
things they are increased forty-eight
per cent; in others four hundred per
cent. Thus the farmer is compelled to
pay needless tribute to the million
aire. How with the laborer? Take a
lot of mills-one in Wheeling. another
in Pittsburg, a third in New York,
a fourth in Chicago. A combine is
effected and they are thrown under
one management. The first object is
uniformity in the cost of production.
and the second uniformity in the price
of selling. They select the mill in
the combine which pays the lowest
wages and make 1t the standard for
the combine, instead of selecting a
medium or high scale. When labor
sends a committee to protest they are
uOl ItCclFtu, DbCduS6 II 10 lLt ulOutlIl
doctrine with trusts that capital has a
right to combine for the purpose of
robbery, but labor has not the right
to combine for the purpose of protec-
ton. (Applause.) If labor's protests
results in a strike, what follows? Gov
eminent by injunction applause
Because Bryan is opposed to govern
ment by injunction many make the
mistake of saying he is opposed to
capital | want to say that Mr.. Bryan
is a more conservative and reliable
man than William Mckinley. Gap
plause.l He will observe the Consti-
tuition more faithfully, and will not
violate it's provisions. He will accord
to capital its rights, to labor It's rights,
and make war on none.
Suppose McKinley's Motley continues.
What will be the -------e? Suppose we
have standing army, entanghng al
dances, foreign wars, colonial pos
sessions-wouldn't America lose its
great business advantage over con-
tinental Europe? The more conserva-
tive man is the one who sticks to the
Constitution of his country and runs
not after these false gods. applause
They tell us that we are opposed to
expansion and cite the case of the
Louisiana purchase. During Jeffer-
sons administration the territory west