The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-27

If that is true He must be silent
partner. for does anybody believe the
Lord sends copious showers when the
Republicans are in power. and hot
winds when the Democrats and Popu
lists are in power? If the Republican
party controlled the water power of
this country the monopolies would COB
bic it up. and we would have to pay for
every shower
In reply to the argument that the
Democratic party is responsible for the
panic of 1898, Mr.. Bryan called atten-
ton to the fact that the Mckinley tar
IN and the Sherman act. both Republi-
can measures. were still in force then,
and were largely responsible for the
hard times. Besides, he said, the finan-
cial policy of the government during
the Cleveland administration was Re
publican.
ty should share in the responsibility for
the panic?" he asked. 'sWas it not un-
fair for them to take Grover Cleveland
away from us and use him to help elect
their ticket?''
Mr.. Bryan declared that every pri-
vate monopoly was wrong, and arraign-
ed the Republican party for its appar-
ent friendship for the trusts.
The Republicans say that they
would control the bad trusts, but that
not all trusts are bad" said Mr.. Bryan.
"A few days ago Senator Lodge said
that 95 per cent. of the trusts were
good. That means about nineteen good
trusts to one bad trust. Two years ago
you Republicans were condemning our
ratio of 16 to /, and now you have a
ratio of your own of 10 to /. President
Roosevelt suggests constitutional
amendment as remedy for the trusts.
Why, we have been trying for thirty
years to get constitutional amendment
providing for the election of senators by
popular vote, and we haven't got it yet.
A twO-thirds vote in the house and SEN
r.
proval of three-fourths of the states.
The president would approve it, and,
with the concurrence of congress, make
it operative at once, but years would
pass before this is done. What kind of
a remedy would this be for the anthra-
cite coal trust? We could all freeze to
death once every year until the amend
ment was passed. And even If it were
to become part of the constitution, it
would bring no relief-it would not be
enforced by the Republican party. We
have an antitrust law now, with a
criminal clause, by which a man who
itentiary. Yet no Republican official
dares to enforce that law. But the
Kansas City platform provides remedy
for the trusts 1t draws the line clearly
between the God-made man and the
man-made corporation. 1t makes the
trust an outlaw. as it has been in the
world for 300 years. The Louisiana lot
terry was made an outlaw. and banished
the monopolies of the use of the malls,
the railroads and the telegraph, and
they would soon perish. Confine the
trust within state lines, deprive the an
thraclte coal trust of the privilege of
shipping outside the state of Pennsyl-
vania, and it would be dissipated, each
mine would be operated by itself, there
would be competition for the laborers
to work the mines, and the power of the
men who now exercise so terrific q
despotism over the miners will be at
an end
Government by injunction came in for
strong condemnation and Mr.. Bryan
again urged that Mr.. Bowman and Mr..
Harris be sent to congress, that they
might assist in changing this iniqui-
tous measure" which is opposed to the
equal rights of man and denies the right
of trial by jury to even a common
laborer.
The meanest criminal" said Mr..
Bryan, 'is entitled to trial by jury.
before he is sent to the penitentiary.
yet laborer may be arrested and i'm
law
Mr.. Bryan closed by urging that the
Democratic ticket, from congressman to
governor down to the last candidate on
the county ticket, be elected, that the
principles of equality of men. might be
sustained in the making and execution
of the laws.
A storm had been coming up during
the last part of his talk and he has
tened to a conclusion on this account
The crowd wanted him to proceed, but
he said:
II would be glad to talk on, but for
Mr.. Craddock's sake 1 do not want to
take any risks. Some of you might
be unable to vote for him. I do not
need to talk to those who are willing to
stay, and those whom I might benefit
would leave on account of the rain"