The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1900-08-31
THE TRUST ISSUE.
1ts Solution Involves Conslderatioa OF the
Fundamental Question Of Private
OWnefshin

Inc Kansas Clty Star has 1naugu-
rated department to be known as
THE Stars Campaign Forum" in
which the issues of the campaign
are to be presented and discussed by
Willis j. Abbott for the democrats
and Murat Halstead for the republic
ans. 1t is a pity that the issues are
not to be discussed from populist
standpoint to the end that the views
of the three national parties might
''be known and read of all men,
In his opening article published in
the Star of August 10, Mr.. Abbott
says:
Following the question of imperial
ism, that of the trusts has prime i'm
portance. For monopoly of this sort
the democratic party, through it's
platform, offers a direct and specific
remedy. The first line of it's discus
sion of trusts states a fundamental
proposition and principle by which all
issues growing out of the trust evil
are to be tested. 1t says Private
monopolies are indefensible and in
tolerable.' You may search the re-
publican platform with magnifying
glass, but fail to discover so broad
and yet so justifiable and so neces-
sary a condemnation of monopoly in
private hands. Upon this issue, as up
on others, the democrats rejoice to
meet the republicans in debate. The
planks of the two platforms in par
allel columns will show the differ
ence between the definite and explicit
programme of warfare outlined by
the democracy and the glittering gen
eralities of the republicans:
Republican.
We recognize the necessity and proprie-
ty of the honest cooperation of capital to
meet new business conditions, and es-
pecially to extend our rapidly increasing
foreign trade, but we condemn all con-
spiracies and combinations intended to
restrict business. to create monopolies.
to limit production or to control prices,
and favor such legislation as will effect
ually restrain and prevent all such
abuses, protect and promote competition
and secure the rights of producers, la
borers and all who are engaged in in
dustry and commerce.
Democratic.
We pledge the democratic party to an
fnceaSing warfare in nation, state and
city against private monopoly in every
form. Existing laws against trusts must
be enforced and more stringent ones
must be enacted providing for publicity as
to the affairs of corporations engaged in
interstate commerce and requiring all
corporations to show, before doing bust
ness outside of the state Of thir origin,
that they have no water in their stock
Nd hot l~xy
are not attempting to monopolize any
branch of business or the production of
any articles of merchandise, and the
whole constitutional power of congress
over Interstate commerce, the mails and
all modes of interstate communication
shall be exercised by the enactment of
comprehensive laws upon the subject
of trusts.
Tariff laws should be amended by put
ting the products of trusts upon the free
list to prevent monopoly under the plea
of protection.
The failure of the present republican
administration, with an absolute control
over all the branches of the national
government, to enact any legislation de-
signed to prevent or even curtail the alb
scrbsng power of trusts and illegal COM
birations, or to enforce the antitrust
laws already on the statute books proves
the insincerity of the Understanding
Corporations should be protected in all
their rights and their legitimate interests
should be respected, but any attempt by
corporations to interfere with the pub
lie affairs of the people or to control the
sovereignty which creates them should
be forbidden under such penalties as will
make such attempts impossible.
We condemn the Dingley law as a
trust-breeding measure. sxilffully devised
to give the few favors which they do
not deserve and to place upon many bur-
dens which they should not bear
''The democratic party to-day is
the party of progress. 1t is party.
not of radicalism, but of progress
siye liberalism. It's platform contains
the only promises of an advance in
economic and industrial legislation
which have been given to the people.
1t stands for municipal ownership
that the enormous revenues which
now accrue to the holders of profit
able municipal monopolies like street
railroads, electric light and gas plants,
water works and telephones, may
either accrue to the people as whole
or else that the services may be rem
dered gratuitously as part of the
function of the municipality
1t must be admitted of course that
municipal ownership will utterly de-.
stroy private monopoly of municipal
utilities. by converting private monop-
clies of that nature into public monop-
Olies. So far the democrats and pop
lists are in accord