The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-08-15
VESTS IDEAS ON
LEADING ISSUES.
Three Questions More Impor-
tant Than Free Silver, the
Missouri Senator Saws.
INCOME TAX AND THE TRUSTS.
Colonial Policy of Republicans Should
Next Have Attention in Demo-
cratic Platform.
INCOME TAX AND THE TRUSTS.
cratic Platform.

Sweet Springs, Mo, Aug. 9.-Sena-
tor George Graham Vest, in aninter-
view with a correspondent of The
Times to-day. outlined his ideas OF
what the democratic platform in 1904
should be The advice of the distin-
guished Missouri senator is OfnatiOn-
alimpOrtancef for he has studied care
fully the mistakes of the party in the
past and is a typical representative
OF the class known as "Jeffersonian
democrats.
Senator Vest believes that the prin-
cipal planks of the platform in 1904,
providing of course there are no radi-
cal changes in present conditions,
should be:
First-A declaration for a gradu-
ated income tax.
Second-An unrelenting opposition
to trusts.
Third-A declaration against impe-
rialism and the colonial system.
He believes that the silver question
should not be the paramount issue
but is of the opinion that it will be
again revived The enormous pro-
duction of gold and the improved
methods of extracting it from the
earth have raised the per capita cir
oulation so that the money question
has temporarily been relegated to
the background. The senator is an
ardent bimetallist and always has
| been.
| The senator believes that William
j. Bryan is responsible for the ratiti-
cation of the Paris treaty which re-
suited in the present colonial policy.
Mr.. Bryan, he said. urged the demo-
cratic senators to vote for the treaty
when it could have been defeated had
| it not been for the fact that Mr.. Bry-
an lent his support to the side OF the
administration.
Mr.. Vest does not believe that Mr.
Bryan is a great leader nor does he
believe the Nebraskan can ever lead
the party to victory.
You have asked me what. under
| present conditions, should be our
platform in 1904, " said Senator Vest
IF could write that platform with
out the Intervention of any new issue
| would declare:
First-For a graduated income
tax, which is the fairest and most
equal system of taxation ever invent
ed. Our present system OF national
taxation in the shape Ofinternal rev
enue and tariff duties makes the
poor man pay the expenses OF the
government while the multi-milliOn-
aire. who consumes neither beer nor
whisky, and imports nothing from
Europe except clothing, pays moth
| ing But in the event of war the poor
man fights for the millions of dollars
belonging to the plutocrat which is
nov exempt from taxation.
''Second-I would make the prin-
cipal issue of the campaign OF 1904
stern and unyielding opposition to
the trusts and syndicates which are
now crushing out individual enter
prise of the country. Ten years ago
a young man with $4,000 or $2O,-
900 capital could start in some legiti-
mate business with fair chance ofsuc-
cess. but now he has no more chance
against the trusts and department
stores than an infant against the
champion prize fighter of the world.
| was told recently by prominent
broker of New York City-a very
earnest republican-that nine men in
New York, four of whom, j. Pierpont
Morgan, George Gould, John D.
Rockefeller and James ]. Hill, con-
troll the finances of the United States,
and. as he expressed it, no one could
90 into a new enterprise or remain in
an old one without the consent of
these nine men.
.'Third-I would declare against
imperialism and the colonial system.