Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-10-02
TRUSTS ASSAILED
IN BRYAN SPEECH.
SAYS CORPORATIONS COERCE EN-
PLOYES TO VOTE.

PLOYES TO VOTE.
William Jennings Bryan was in New
York Thursday, and went Immediately
to the Hoffman House There he had
a conference with National Chairman
Mack and others at the Democratic
State headquarters until 1880, when
he addressed meeting in the room OF
the Commercial Travellers League, on
Broadway There were about zoo
people present, all that could be jam
med into the room. Representative
William SulZer introduced the Ne
braSkan.
Mr.. Bryan took the trusts as his sub
ject, and said that the elimination OF
competition would largely end the
work of the travelling man.
THE travelling man is the enbodl-
ment of the competitive idea,' he said.
''Today competition compels the mer-
chant and manufacturer and business
man to get the best brains. But if a
complete monopoly is secured it will
not be necessary to get the best-a SON
in-law VIII do. The tendency is toward
monopoly; the trouble is in checking il
when once it gets started The Demo
cratic party draws the line at the placf
W1lGIt Illciiupuiy DSSiiio. IL 10 eiAS Oihi J
party that is seeking to restore COM
petition in the country"
Mr.. Bryan had little fun with Mr..
Taft's dictum that only unreasonable
restraint of trade should be interfered
with. The commoner said that il "rea
sonableu restraint of trade was legaliz-
ed the lawmakers might as well go on,
and legalize reasonable burglary, pro-
viding, say, that not more than two
burglars should enter a house at the
same time and that they should take
not more than half the contests.
Fixing arbitrary limits to the amount
of business, a corporation could control,
Mr.. Bryan said, was not infringing up
ON the rights of corporations, because
the corporation had no rights except
those conferred upon it by law.
The Nebraskan said that corporations
had coerced employees to vote the Re
publican ticket in 1886, to some extent
in 1900, and that it had been suggested
in the present campaign.
Broadway was blocked for half 9
mile when Mr.. Bryan left the hall, and
traffic could be resumed only when he
had got well toward the hotel.
Mr.. Bryan gave lengthy interview
this afternoon, in which he explained
his position with regard to the Roose
welt policies.
"a distinction ought to be drawn be
tween Mr.. Roosevelt's popular policies
and his unpopular policies" he said.
''The popular policies are those which
have been borrowed from the Demo
cratic party; the unpopular are those
upon which the Republican party has
a patent. | have never indorsed Mr.
Roosevelt, but | have indorsed things
he has said and done, just as [ have
criticised things he has said and done. ,
OF Mr.. Roosevelt's reformed, Mr
Bryan said he was not only the heir
apparent, but the parent, explaining
his meaning that he, as the representa-
tive of the Democratic party, was emit
tied to the support of those who ap
proved reforms which has been taken
from the Democratic party.
On his chances of victory, Mr.. Bryan
said: II think it can safely be stated
that changes being made from one side
to the other show net gain to our par
ty in all sections of the country-thaf
is, the tide is turning in our favor"
Mr.. Bryan SAID that as far as he had
been able to learn the labor sentiment
is with the Democratic party by large
preponderance, and that regardless lot
locality. AS to Treasurer Sheldon s re-
ply that an officer of the Steel corpora
ton had as much right to contribute
as member of the Commoner compa-
ny, Mr.. Bryan replied that the Com
moner was not published by corpo-
ration and added that he thought Mr..
Sheldon was right. That not only had
to support the Republican party, but
that out of gratitude they ought to do
so.