The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-09-28
the right to create whatever private
corporations the people Of the Stats

4 .
the right to create whatever privat,
corporations the people OF the Stat;
think best.
Second, that the State hos, o,
should have, the right to impose suof
limitations upon an outside corpora
tton as the people OF the State ma,
! think necessary for their own protee
! tion. That protects the rights of the
people OF the State to say, first, wha
they shall organize in their State as {
corporation, and, second, what they
shall permit as q corporation to come
from other States who do business In
their State.
"Third, that tho Federal govern
mont has or should have the right tC
impose such restrictions as Congress
may think necessary upon any corpora.
tion which does business outside Of the
State in which 1t is organized. In
other words, | would preserve to the
people Of the State all the rights they
now have, and at the same time have
Congress exercise concurrent remedy
to supplement tho State remedy. /
would not take away from the people
OF the State any right now existing,
but l would have the Federal govern.
ment and tho State government exer.
cise tho powers that may be necessary
to annihilate tho monopoly. | do not
agree with the gentleman that you
cannot annihilate q monopoly. CAD.
plause.) | believe it is possible to do
80.
81 have no doubt that any remedy
that Is proposed will be assaulted. II
those who believe that tho trust must
remain, and those who believe that the
trust means good, will accept tho best
remedy they Can find, try it and then
accept d botter one If better one is
proposed and keep on trying until the
people arc protected. (Applause.)
Now, L am not sure the remedy I
propose Ia unconstitutional. [ am not
sure that tho constitution would pro-
hloit such an act Of Congress as sug-
gest Suppose Congress should say
that whenever a corporation wanted to
do business outside of tho State, it
must apply to and receive from some
body created by Congress for the pur-
pose Of license to do business. Sup
pose tho law should provide three con-
ditions upon which the license should
be issued:
First, that the evidence shall show
inst there Is no wator in the stock.
Second, that the evidence should
show that this corporation has not in
tho past aud is not attempting now to
mouopOlizo any branch OF industry or
IL branch Of any article OF merchan.
disc; and,
Third, providing for that publicity
which everybody has spoken OF, and
about which everybody agrees. Suo-
pose that Is done. Who Is here to saw
shst such law would be unconstitu-
Mun&i But suppoeo tho law Is passc d
9nd Is Hc!d unconstitutional then we
can amend the constitution. The rcu-
tlcmrn auggests that II is . dinicult
thing 70 get t"0 thirds Of both houses
TO t@vUr amendments and s-fourths
Of tao States. Chat IL true, Il i a djf-
tcutt tainE, nut ii the people want TO
destroy the trU ts, you can get two.
thirds of hO,h houses and three. .ourths
OF tho states. Buo what's the alter.
native? SIT down aud do nothing ?
A'lo" them 10 tramplc upon you, and
ilde rough ehod over you, and then
Ihank God that you still have some
axe iEit Is hat the only remedy?
thc AMcrlcan people arc entitled
-, .hc boat that there is? (Applausc.) \
lHcy arc entitled TO the best system on
every subject. | believe when these
luost!ons are presented to the Ame-i-
can people they will select and secure
npcesSary for ua to sit down QUIETLY
and permit great aggregation OF
" ealth to strangle every competitor.
don't believe that it Is in aocordance
Win our dignity rs a people, or In &C.
;ordance with the rights Of the people.
20 say, because great corporation is
organized, that therefore 1t should be
permitted to go into the field of q new
corporation, undersell it Until il bank,
rupts 1t, r-ising the monJy by higher
prices somewhere else. | don't think
It ID necessary for us to do that. I
nave only suggested plan. IT NAV moi
be tho best plan. Ifyou have anything |
ootter, propose it. If there is apS
'me endment that you can think Of that
VIII improve il, suggest it. | am anX.
Gus to accept anything.
LOU me suggest one other thing |
'hat l believe will be q step in the |
light direction. The great trouble |
las oeen that while our platforms de-
1ounce corporations, corporations can.
'rol the elections and place under oh.
lgation to them tho mon who rr,
;lectcd to enforce the law. (Applause,)
Let me propose q rcmedy-not q rom.
,,dy, but step, l think, in the ripht
llrectlon. Let tho laws, State and M.
'lonal, make 1t penas otfense for anv
corporation to contribute to the cam.
}@algn tund OF any political party.
continued cheers and applause.j Ne.
'raska has such law, passed two
ears ears ago. Tennessee has such law,
passed two years since. Such a lay
vas passed, or WAS introduced in tho
state OF New York, but 50 far It has
lot reached the stage Of actual law in
Jln 5io oIHse OF New York. Naughter)
Now | oe)ieye it is Il step in tho RIGHT
llrection. You remember the testi0
nony taken before q Senate committoe
low years ago. when the head of q
ugar trust testified that the sugar
rust made 1T It's business to contribnta
o campaign funds ; and whom asked 70
4hich one 1T contributed replied that
depended upon circumstances. HTo
yn,ch f9nd do contribute in Massa-
was asked. ITO the Ronnh.
ican fund" ITO which fund in New
ork." "To the Democratic fund :"
, 10 which fund in New Jersey" and
ne; ne man s"ys, Well, | will have to
ook to the books, that is q donhtfnI
'tate.' Continued lauphtor al n