The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-11-01

thelr labor in a market artifcially re-
strlcted; to purchase in a market
wnere free competition has been throt-
tied by law for the benefit OF certain
favored classes. The result is a rob-
pery OF labor; it is compelled to accept
tne terms and conditions offered by
the bene1ciaries Of the restrictive
law.
Inc Democratic party stands for
Tree competition and for the right of
al men freely to exchange with each
other the results of their toll 1t is
therefore opposed to trusts and to all
devices for the killing or even the re-
strlctlon of trade. A protective tariff
is declaration of war against trade;
II is an invitation to combination and
monopoly; it puts a premium upon
engrosslng and forestalling; it is the
nandmalden if not the mother of
trusts.
The appalling manifestation of mod
ern industrialism is the Capitalization
OF wealth in the hands of the few. 1t
mas come about in the last generation
and it is the shining product of Re-
publican legislation. All the forces of
privilege have been centered on the
effort to secure larger privileges; and
the Republican policy has been that of
consistent favoritism; it has never
failed to give to those that had and to
take away from those that had not
even that which they had 1t gave
boundless territory to favored rail-
ways; it granted monopolies to iron
and coal and lumber and stone; it gave
bounties to sugar and protection from
competition to mills and factories and
shipping; it has shut out foreign goods
while letting in foreign labor; it has
loaned its credit to favored bankers
and changed the terms of contracts for
the benefit of bond-holders; it has dis
credited silver in order to vest a mo-
nopoly in the hands of owners of gold;
and in every instance it has enacted
laws and administered the government,
not for the common welfare, but for
the enrichment of special classes.
Democracy opposes all this 1t wants
to strike the shackles from trade and
to relieve labor from the levies OF
privilege. Its whole spirit runs in
the direction of freedom and it's can
didates stand pledged by the platform
and by their own records TO promote
| the ends of liberty and of righteous
ness. The party makes appeal to the
| heart and the conscience of the coun-
try. 1t opposes foreign conquest both
because it is wicked wrong to alien
peoples aud because it is a direful
threat against our own rights. For
this country cannot be half republic
and half empire. Imperialism will not
be satisfied with foreign subjugation;
| it will hunger and thirst after the sub
| jugation Of those at home from whom
tribute can be wrung. Already the
entrenched forces of Imperialism are
levying tribute upon American labor;
labor's opportunities have been mar
roWed to a choice of masters; armed
men in the service Of plutocracy war
against the right of men to seek bet.
! ter conditions from those who have
cornered industrial chances; and ii
Mckinley shall win in the great fight
now in progress it will mean furthe,
restriction, further narrowing of op.
portunity, further aggressions OF priv.
ilege and still harsher exactions from
those who work for the aggrandize.
ment of those who toll not.-Warren
Worth Bailey in Johnstown Democrat