Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-03-01

performed tnat great service ana tnat
man is Mr.. Bryan. His greatness and
influence does not consist merely OF
the fact that men believe in him, but
consists in the fact that men love
him and trust him because he has
kept his own life untainted by i'm
proper influences and his own heart
absolutely true to Democratic inter
ests. That is the reason no man can
disbelieve him, and it simply is an
other instance of what ! have been
trying to show, that the final test OF
Democracy is the relation of our lifes
business to general enterprises.
But, gentlemen, We have now come
upon the time when the country is
going to ask itself this question:
The Circle Of Big Business.
This is business country; can We
trust the Democrats to conduct the
affairs of a business country; do they
understand the interests of business;
are they going to upset business?
How are We going TO answer that
question? You know there are two
theories that may not have come to
the surface, but which l want if pos
sible to draw to the surface. Is 1t
not an interesting fact that at the
very time We proclaim the difficulty
in this country-that the government
is under the influence of special in
terests - conspicuous representatives
of those very special interests are
asking that the government should
control them! Isn't that an interest
ing circle to institute? II control
you. | therefore suggest you control
me-" they say. Il have a private
arrangement with a number of other
men, whom l would prefer not to
name, for the regulation and deter
mination of prices. | also supply the
funds by which the party in power
keeps and gets its power. there
fore suggest that this party in power
itself undertake to regulate prices"
A very interesting proposal to my
mind-one of the most beautiful fam
lily arrangements | ever heard pro-
posed, and these gentlemen are the
very gentlemen who SILVER at the
word Socialism, when they are pro-
posing it. 1t makes a great deal of
difference about being Socialist
whether you control the Socialistic
organization or not. If you will let
me control the organization, l am
willing the organization should con-
troll me, and these gentlemen at the
very time they exclaim against So
cialist doctrine are proposing meas.
ures which inevitably lead in the di.
rection of state ownership of the in.
dustries of the country, because regu'
lation Of prices is determined, as
earnings are determined in the con
duct of the business, and the conduct
of the business by the government is
Socialism. feel. as a Democrat,
ought to stand for a very different
program, indeed, and l want to pro
fess that program here tonight. What
We have got to do is to remind our
selves that everything is done by in
dividuals; that the fundamental prin
ciple of Democratic government /!
the conduct of the Individual before
the law.
Getting at the Man Behind the Trust
If | am merchant acting upon m!
own capital and there is beside me
in competition with me, a great cor
poration and you treat the corpora
ton as an individual just as you trea
me. then there is no discrimination
between individuals and We SHOULD
allow these gentlemen who consti
tute the corporation to conduct tn,
business so long as they keep within
the limits of their power and the Law
as body corporate. THE MINUTE
THEY BEGIN TO DISOBEY TIKI
LAW WE ARE GOING TO FORGET
THEY ARE A BODY CORPORATE
AND TREAT THEM AS INDIVID
UALS. We don't want to have
capital called a corporation in whicI
these gentlemen can do a thimble
rigging trick; we want the who'll
thing done on the open street. VI
propose 10 do this--I am now speak
y ing for what | would conceive to b.
a rational way of directing the ger
eral Democracy-we propose to d
!, this: To get all wrOng-dOers as in
dividuals; not to bother our head
one way or another what their col
Forate connections are with one ar
! other, or whether they have any O
, not If they are wrong-doers. S
, that when the wrong is done in tn
. name OF corporation We will pic
out the man, or group of men. VIII
, did it and then, If we find that the
, aren't alone, but that they have bee
moved by duress of one sort or al
. other, put upon them by the men
: the members of the corporation VIII
are at liberty-that We may be De-
fectly impartial, we will at least IL
, clude those other gentlemen in tn
: indictment because We have now fol
gotten any corporate connection an
J are treating with individuals. Fo
, example-and that is perfectly fea!
; ible-we make them disclose thei
: methods of doing business in a swor
statement which will be conclusiv
: as against them and il anything
done by the corporation forbidden b
: the law we pick out the person O
: persons who represent them and pu
/ them under indictment, not as men
: bers Of the corporation, but as cit
zens of the United States. And whe
: 1t transpires that somebody like th
, late Mr.. Hartman, standing outsid
: the corporation. not a member of Il
organization, has financial means {
: control which enables him to say I
!. these men, you must" then we wi
/ say. well, Mr.. Hartman was nc