The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17

| Deen fatal TO Tree institutions. LII
is what millions of our citizens
have fed from in Europe. 1t
will impose upon our peace-lov-
ing people a large standing army,
an unnecessary burden of taxa
ton, and q constant menace to
their liberties. A small stand
ing army and a we'll disciplined
state militia are amply sufficient
in time of peace. This republic
has no place for vast military
service and CONSUMPTION. When
the nation is in danger, the vol
unteer soldier is his country S
best defender. The national
guard of the United States should
ever be cherished in the patriot
ic hearts of a free people. Such
organizations are ever an ele-
ment of strength and safety. For
the first time in our history, and
coeval with the Philippine con
test, has there been a wholesale
departure from our me-honored
and approved system of a volun-
teer organization. We denounce
it as un-American, undemocratic
and unrepublican and as a sub
version of the ancient and fixed
principles Of free people.
TRUSTS.
Private monopolies are indie
fensible and intolerable. They
destroy competition, control the
price of all material and finished
product, thus robbing both pro-
Queer and consumer. They les
sen the employment of labor and
arbitrarily fix the terms and con
ditions thereof and deprive in
dividual energy and small capital
of their opportunity for better
ment. They are the most eff
Gent means yet devised for APP
propriating the fruits of industry
to the benefit of the few at the
expense of the many, and, unless
their insatiate greed is checked,
all wealth will be aggregated in
few hands and the republic de-
stroyed.
The dishonest paltering with
the trust evil by the republican
party in state and national plat
forms is conclusive proof of the
charge that trusts are the legit-
innate product of republican poll
cies, that they are fostered by
republican laws and that they
are protected by the republican
administration in return for cam
paign subscriptions and political
support.
We pledge the democratic
party to an unceasing warfare,
in nation, state and city, against
private monopoly in every form.
Existing laws against trusts
must be enforced and more strin-
gent ones must be enacted pro-
viding for publicity as to the af-
fairs of corporations engaged in
interstate commerce and requir-
ing all corporations to show, be-
fore doing business outside of
the state of their origin, that
they have no water in their stock
and that they have not attempt
ed, and are not attempting, to
monopolize any business or the
production of any articles of
merchandise; and the whole con
stitutional power of congress
over interstate commerce and
and the mails and all modes of
interstate communication shall
be exercised by the enactment of
comprehensive laws upon the
subject of trusts.
The tariff laws should be am
ended by putting the products of
trusts upon the free list to pre-
vent monopoly under the plea of
protection.
The failure of the present re-
publican administration, with
absolute control over all the
branches of the national govern
ment, to enact any legislation
designed to pervent or even cur
tail the absorbing power of trusts
and illegal combinations, or to
enforce the antitrust laws al
ready on the statute books, prove
the insincerity of the high sound
ing phrases of the republican
platform.
Corporations should be pro-
tected 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 created them, should be
forbidden under such penalties
as will make such attempts inn
possible.