Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-10

can people are in nowise diminished,
and the democratic party takes no
backward step from it's position on
them, but the burning issue of imper-
ialism growing out of the Spanish war
involves the very existence of the re-
public and the, destruction of our free
We regard it as the par
issue of the campaign.
The declaration in The republican
platform adopted at the Philadelphia
convention that the republican party
steadfastly adheres to the policy an
nounced in the Monroe doctrine is
manifestly insincere and deceptive.
This profession is contrauicted by the
involved policy OF that party in oppo-
sition to the spirit of the Monroe doc
'trine to acquire and hold sovereignty
over large areas of territory and a large
number of people in the eastern hemi-
sphere.
"We insist on the strict maintenance
of the Monroe doctrine and in all its
integrity, both in letter and in spirit.
as necessary to prevent extension Of
the Eurouean authority on this CON-
.tinent, and as essential to our
supremacy in the American hemis-
phere. At the same time we declare
no American people shall ever De held
BY force in unwilling subsection TO
European authority.
MilitarisEa Opposed.
We oppose militarism. 1t means
conquest abroad and intimidation and
oppression at home. 1t means strong
army, which has ever been fatal to
free institutions. 1t is what millions
of our citizens fed from in Europe.
1t will impose upon our peace-loying
people large standing army, an I'M
necessary burden of taxation, con-
slant menace to their liberties. A
small tstanding army and a well-disci-
pinned state militia are amply suf1i-
Gent in time of peace. This republic
has no place for vast military SER
vice and CONSUMPTION. When the ma
ton is in danger the volunteer soldier
of the country is the best defender.
The national guards of the United
States should ever be cherished in the
patriotic hearts of free people. Such
organizations are our strength and
safety. For the first time in our his
tory and coeval with The Philippine
conquest there has has been a whole
sale departure from our time-honored,
approved system of volunteer organ
| izations. We denounce it as un-Amer-
| lean, undemocratic, unrepublican and
as a subversion of the ancient and
fixed principles of free people.
War on Trusts.
''Private monopolies are :ndefensible
and intolerable. They destroy COM
| petition and control the price of raw
material and of the finished product
thus robbing both the. producer and
the consumer. They lessen the EN-
ployment of labor, and arbitrarily fix
the terms and conditions thereof and
deprive the individual CT energy and
small capital of their opportunity fol
betterment.
! "They are the most efficient means
yet devised for approp riating the fruit
OF industry to the benefit of the few at
the expense of many, and unless theil
i'.satiate greed is checked, all wealth
will be aggregated in a few hands ant
the republic destroyed. The dishonest
4 paltering with the trust evil by the re
publican party in state and nationa
I platforms is conclusive proof of thu
/ truth of the charge that the trust.
are the legitimate product of the re
publican policy, and that they are fos
tered by the republican laws and tina
they are protected by the repu blicar
administration in return for cam
paign subscriptions and political sup
port.
4 s"We pledge the democratic party tc
an unceasing warfare in nation, state
and city against private monopoly il
every form. The existing laws against
/ trusts must be enforced and more
i stringent new ones providing for pub
lefty as to affairs of corporation:
engaged in interstate commerce, re
i curing all corporations TO show before
4 doing business outside of state, Their
origin, that they have no water in theil
4 stock, and that they have not attempt
ed and are not attempting to monopol
4 ize any branch of business or the pro
i duction of any articles of merchandise
and hold the constitutional power o
i congress and our interstate commerce.
and mails and all modern interstat,
4 communication shall be exercised b,
j the enactment of comprehensive law
j upon the subject of trusts.
i "The tariffs law should be amended
i Ivy putting the products of trust up
4 or the free list to prevent monopol,
4 under plea of protection. The failur
i Of the present republican administra
i ton, with absolute control over al
4 branches of the national government
to enactany legislation designed to pre-
vent or even curtail the absorbing pow
er of trusts and illegal combinations
or to enforce the antitrust laws al
ready on the statute books, prove tn
insincerity of the high soundin.
phrases of the republican platform.
!. Corporations should be protects
in all their rights, and their legitimat
interests should be respected, but an
attempt by corporation to interior
with public affairs of a people or contra
the sovereignty which created then
el,o,,ld l,af forhidden ,,nda cuob mann,