Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-08-29
Campaign
Comment
Bryan's Trust Speech.
New York GIpho

Inc trust problem, one of the NEST
complicated of any that has arisen in
MODERN industrial society, is suscep-
tible of being considered from two very
different viewpoints. Its consideration
can be approached from the high plane
OF craftsmanship, with a frank recog-
milton of the difficulties with which it
bristles and candid acknowledgment
that there is no absolute assurance of
what is the Wisest thing to do Or it
can be approached from the low plane
of cheap politics, with demagogical and
catCh-penny arguments made i'll favor
of quack proposals.
In his acceptance speech Mr.. Taft
discussed the problem from the one
standpoint. Mr. Bryan, in his speech
at Indianapolis today, discusses it
from the other. The one showed that
he desired first of all to be right and
to be careful lest more harm than good
be done by experiments. The other dis
closes that he~i is merely anxious to
carry the approaching election, and
that he is willing to promise anything
provided it will assist his personal am
billions. II any one wishes to discover
the essential difference between Will
liam Fl. Taft and William j. BRYAN he
can hardly do better than to compare
the Cincinnati and Indianapolis
speeches.
Mr.. Bryan approaches the trust prob
lem as he approached the question Of
bnetallism twelve years ago. Then
he said, in contempt OF the Gresham
law and of all experience that all that
was necessary to reestabllsh bmetal-
ism was to open the minis to the free
coinage Of silver. Now he says that all
that is necessary to get rid of the
trusts and to reestablsh the old compe-
tltlon is fer Congress to enact 4 law or
two. He takes no cognizance at all OF
he TACT that the movement toward the
aggregation of industry is Il world
vide movement, and that it proceeds
from conditions that are probably I'M
eradlcable. Busy in his attempt to
arouse a prejudice of which he may
personally get benefit, he ignores all
the larger aspects of the problem ana
would have the country believe that
as the walls of Jericho fell at the blast
OF rams horn so the trust would
torple lrd disappear if congress would
do a little legislative footing Great
questions are not to be solved in this
easy and offhand uanner Either Mr.
Blyan is consciously insncern or
he is very shallow. This conclusion is to
be arrived at without troubling to de-
termlne hat merit there is in the Ii
cense system that he has borrowed
from Secretary Garfield, or in the stock
limitation proposals that he has Dor
fOWed froIn President Roosevelt. or in
the % to 30 per cent. proposals that he
mas borrowed from Governor Cummins
OF Iowa
Particularly childish is Mr. BRYAN
Whcn he attempts to reconcile the old
Democratic antipathy to Capitalization
with legislation that looks to an cnor
nous increase of federal power H..
says that corporations should not he |
ah"Wed TO nave the same directors |
Yet IN the next breath he says he is |
opposed to national incorporation If |
the states as now are to remain the
creators OF corporations, and therefore
the dehncrs of their manner Of doing |
business how is Congress to be able ia !
control the personnel of their direc-
torates? Mr.. Bryan cannot advocate
national laws regulating the inner
management Of corporations without
establishing what is tantamount to ma
tional Incorporation. Yet he bandly
plunderS on as II no one will note the
glarlng contradiction. Again the con-
ciuslon Is difficult to avoid: Either in
sincere or shallow-either a willing
ness to deceive or a weakness Of head /
COMMENT