The National tribune., 1900-07-12

ored and approved system of volunteer or
ganization. We depounce it as un-Ameri
can, undcniocratit. and unrepnblican, anC
as subyersion of the ancient and fixed
| principles sf fire.. people.
| Private monopolies are indefensible and
intolerable. They destroy competition
control the price of all material, and of the
| finished product, athus robbing both pro-
ducer and consumer. They lessen the EN-
| ployment Of labor, and arbitrarily fix the
| terms and Conditions thereof and deprive
| individual energy and small capital oi
| their opportunity for betterment. They
are the most efficient means yet devised
for appropriating the fruits of industry tn
| the benefit of the few at the expense OF
| the many, and unless their unssftiateu
greed is checked all wealth will be aggre'
| gated in a few hands and the Republic de
stroyed. The dishonest palteriug with
the trust evil by the Republican party IL
| State and National platforms is concius
i've proof of the truth of the charge that
| trusts are legitimate product of Repub'
lican policies: that they are. fostered by
Republican laws, and that they are pro
| tected by the Republican Administration
\ i'll return for campaign subscriptions and
| political support.
We pledge the Democratic party to al,
unceasing warfare in Nation. State, and
| city against private monopoly in every
| form. Existing laws against trusts must
| be enacted providing for publicity as to the
| affairs of corporations engaged i'll inter
state commerce. and requiring all corpora
tions to show, before doing business outside
| of the State of their origin. that they have
| no water in their stock and that they have
not attempted and 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 commun-
ication shall be exercised by an enactment
of comprehensive laws upon the subject
of trusts. Tariff laws should be amended
by putting the products of trusts upon the
free list to prevent monopoly under the
plea of protection.
The failure of the Republican Admins,
tratiOn, with an absolute control over ali
the branches of the National Government,
to enact any legislation designed to pre-
vent or even curtail the absorbing power
of trusts and Illegal combinations, or to
enforce the antitrust laws already on the
statute books. proves the insinccrity of the
high sounding phrases of the Republican
platform.
Corporations should be protected in all
their rights and their legitimate interests
should be respected, but any attempt by
corporations to interfere with the public
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 Diugley tariff as n
trust-breeding measure. skilfully devised
to give the few favors which they do not
deserve and TO place upon the many bur
dens which they should not bear.
We favor such an enlargement of the
scope of the Interstate commerce law as
will enable the Commission TO protect in
dividuals ana communities from discrimi
nations and the ptblic from unjust and
unfair transItDrtItf3h rates.
We affirm and indorsc the principles of
the National Democratic platform adopted
at Chicago jp 1885, and we reiterate the
demand of that platform for an American
financial syStem rnSdc by the American
and maintain a binTetallic price level, and
as part of such system the immediate res
toration of the frceI and unlimited coinage
of silver and gold ut the present legal ratio
of IL to ]. without waiting for the aid or
consent of any other nation.
We denouiice thslcurrcncy bill enacted
at the last sessionHo of Congress as a step
forward in ahe Republican policy which
aims to dij4rcdit 4ke sovereign right of
the National Government to issue all
money, whether coin or paper, and To be-
stow upon National banks the power TO
issue and control the volume of paper
money for their own benefit. 4 herman
ent National b;ink currency, secured by
Government bonds. must have perman
ont debt to rest upon, and if the bank cur
rency is to Increase with population and
business, the debt must also increase The
Republican currency scheme is therefore,.
scheme for fastening upon the taxpay-
erS perpetual and growing debt for the
benefit of the banks. We are opposed to
this private corporation paper circulated
as money, but without legal tender quail
ties, and demand the retirement of the
National bank notes fast as this Gov
ernmcnt paper or silver certificates can
be substituted for them.
We favor an amendment TO the Federal
Constitution providing for the election OF
United States Senator by direct vote OF
the people. and by direct legislation wher,
ever practicable.
We are opposed tn government by in
junction: we denounce the blacklist and
favor arbitration as a means of settling
disputes between corporations and their
employees.
In the interest of American labor and
the uplifting of the workinEman, as the
cornerstone of the prosperity Of our coun-
try. we recommend that Congress create
Il Department of Labor, in charge of :.
Secretary, with a seat i'll the Cabinet. be
lieving that the elevation of the American
laborer will bring increased prosperity to
our country at home and our commerce
abroad.
" We are proud of the courage and fidei-
ity of the American soldiers and sailors
in all our wars; we favor liberal pensions
10 them and their dependents. and we re-
iterate the position taken in the Chicago
platform i'll 1896 that the fact of enlist
mcnt and service shall be deemed concus.
i've evidence against disease and disabil-
ity before enlistment.
We favor the immediate construction.
ownership. and control of the Nicaragu;,
Canal by the United States, and we de
nouncc the insincerity of the plank in the
Republican National platform for an
isthmian canal in the face of the failure
Of the Republican majority to pass the bill
pending in Congress. We condemn the
Hay-PauncefOtc treaty as n surrender of
American rights and interests not to be
tolerated by the American people.
We denounce the failure of the Repub.
hcan party to carry out its pledges TO
grant Statehood to the Territories of Ari-
zona, New Mexico and Oklahoma. and we
promise the people of those Territories i'm
mediate Statehood and home rule during
their condition as Territories, and We
favor home rule and territorial form OF
Government for Alaska and Porto Rico.
We favor an intelligent system of i'm.
proving the arid lands of the West. stor
ing the waters for purposes of irrigation.
and the holding ofggSuch lands for actuai
settlers. - -
We favor the continuance and strict en-
forcement ofIIithe Chinese exclusion law
and its a.ppiiialtionl TO the same classes OF
Jarr,rsn,, hill. apao,o .-. g..