Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-12-22
MR.. MILBURN'S SPEECH.

held on Saturday night, was the out
spoken defense Of the modern trust ny
John G. Milburn, Of Buffalo. His
speech had the rare merit Of being hon
estly outspoken, and 1t was evidently
sincere from the viewpoint Of prob
ably large majority Of those who sat
at meat with him, but without doubt
in their estimation It was singularly
lncking in that rsscally virtue,-pru-
dence." He said what his fellows
around the table thought.
In dealing with the trust question
hypocrisy OF speech is so common that
q want Of It is indeed refreshing.
We do not need to rehcnrse, nor do
we desire 10 controvert, the arguments
OF the speaker, on the occasion referred
to- by means OF which he undertook TO
show that organized capital, in the
form now known as the trust, IL not
an unmixed good, IL, at least under
proper conditions, blessing and n ben
eft, mot to any special clnss or classes.
but to the welfare of the masses" That
these arguments are in many respects
cogent is Of course true, and that hence
they are entitled 10 respectful hear.
ing instead of being met by the raw
and wholesale denunciatIons usually
accorded them in the press and
The platforms Of both parties, is equally
OF course true also.
The inherent vice in this reasoning
appears to us 10 he found in the as.
Bumpton-treatCd by Mr.. Milburn as
conclusive, that the benefits Of the trust
system may be secured without dan.
ger that resort will he had, upon the
Infinite opportunities which combina-
tions present, to that crueland relentless
crushing of competition and the killing
OF that individual effort. often lowly
IL amount and grasp OF enterprise,
but generally honorable and always en-.
titled to It's humble existence, never,
theless, and his assertion that If such
abuses arise in the operation of organ
i2ed capital, they can he defined, for.
mnlated and prohibited with penal ana
civil liabilities enforceable by the ma
tion, the state and individuals"
There would be fOrcc' in this posi-
tion that the law Of the land is able
10 advance the remedy for the mischief
suggested, IL that law were impartial
IN Its operation In It's application the
CLASSES" and the masses" Of whom
Mr.. bilburn speaks, do not stand up.
on an equal footing. For century
md more the former have been made
rich Rt the expense of the latter, and
this by law, And now when we are
told by n President that this system
OF law-madc privilege Is too sacred a
thing to be touched, is It any wonder
that the trusts, sheltered beneath its
wing, will use It on every occasion to
break down their advcrsarics? And Is
II not idle to assume that law can
successfully be- invoked TO reduce
grievances Of which 1t IL itself the pro.
motep7
But M already intimated, II is no
purt of our present purpose to discuss
the evils which we believe always must
follow In the wake OF system that
gives the producer lcGalIzed advan.
tago over the consumer, and OF which
Tho h'ust of our time with all the
abuses possible TO II. is the necessary
creation.
What We do desire to call attention
th In this speech, however. for ono
thing, Is the tierce- almost angry, cry
OF the speaker against the remedies
proposed for the evils OF the trusts
Most OF these nostrums II Ia true ara
hot ehutled 10 very respectful treat,
ment They are found every day in
presidential messages, resolutions OF
political conventions, newspapers desIr
GUS Of being bought or subsidized by
tie trusts they dcnouuce, nut not vet
successful in their quest and in the
legions of crude measures proposed by
Congressmon with intent TO fool all tho
people some OF the time and some or
the people all the time sham attempts
10 enforce some OF the inert laws now
Oh the stotute'books belong to the same
class
Mr. Milburn was particularly severe
on the Presidents "favorlte prescrln.
tlon" for trust maladlcs, which the
speaker characterized as a proposal for
at Hnquisitorial examination and In
speetion to secure what is called pub.
lieity, in utter disregard OF that privacy