Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-08-26
MR.. uTTLeFlELo's SPEECH.
A FULL DISCUSSION OF THE TRUST
EVIL, AND THE DEMOCRATIC RENE
DIES PROPOSED.

EVIL, AND THE DEMOCRATIC REM
DIES PROPOSED.
The only drawback about the Republi
can campaign meeting at South Pari
Tuesday evening was the lack of hal
large enough to seat all the people wht
wished to get in. The hall was com
fortably filled long before the hour o
opening, many ladies being present
Then additional chairs were brought il
and placed in the aisles, and what stand
ing room was left in the rear of the hal
was fully occupied. A large delegation
of the Norway people were present, and
there were numbers from Paris Hill,
West Paris, Oxford, Woodstock, and
other neighboring places.
At about o'clock Hon. James S.
Wright called the assembly to order, and
with brief references to the distinguish
ed men who have represented the old
Second Maine District in congress intro
duced as their worthy successor the
speaker of the evening, Hon. Charles E.
Littlefield of Rockland. Mr.. Littlefield
was greeted with hearty applause, both
ON entering the hall and on rising to
speak.
Mr. Littlefield opened with brief
reference to the matter OF the prohibitory
law and the awakening of interest in its
enforcement, which he hailed with
pleasure. as he is a firm believer in both
the law and it's thorough enforcement.
With regard to the effect of the Prohibi
ton party movement, he asked his hear
ers to consider that the matter of the en-
forcement of the law is practical ques-
ton. to be Judged by the results obtain
ed, and illustrated it by leaf from his
own experience. ''ln my younger days,
said he, "being dissatisfied with the
administration of the law in my own
county, ran Prohibition party of my
own. and succeeded in drawing enough
votes away from the Republican candi
date for sheriff to elect the Democratic
candidate, and the last state of things
was worse than the first" He urged the
treatment of this as practical question,
and declared his belief that the great
mass of the people of Maine, in all par
ties. were believers in prohibition.
Turning to national questions, Mr.. Lit
tlefield took up the question of trusts,
which is being brought to the front by
the Democrats, and devoted the re-
mainder of his remarks to thorough
discussion of the matter.
A recent editorial in the Boston Globe,
which ought to know the facts, discuss
ing Democratic Quarrels,' makes the
startling statement that for ten years the
Democratic party has been in prolonged
and painful commissions" We knew it
was bad, but had never dreamed it was
so bad as that. The Globe editorial con-
cludes that it might have been better
for the party if it had never had any
The trouble, however, is /
not that the Democratic policy has prin-
ciples. but that the principles are wrong.
Editor Otis of the Rockland Opinion
IN a recent issue states boldly the known
fact that sthe Democratic policy is to
tear down" The Democratic party is a
party of negation and obstruction. Its
policy is to tear down and destroy. The
party is a human institution,
md while it makes mistakes sometimes,
IN the whole the results of its policies
ire largely to the benefit of the people
md the country.
Now / will try to demonstrate to any
sensible person that the Democratic
,arty is not to be trusted to deal with |
he matter of trusts. Here the speaker |
cad an extract from speech, ringing |
With denunciatiOn of trusts and declar-
NO that earth, sea and sky were filled
With them. Then he explained that this
vas not Democratic campaign speech
delivered in 1902, but speech made IN
he English Parliament by Lord Culpeper
62 wears ago. The combinations called
rusts are not new, but existed then,
md have existed ever since that time.
An opinion of a Wisconsin court re-
ently rendered, in the case of a combi-
,ation of wholesalers and retailers form
ID TO prevent other retailers from en-
aging in trade, says that such com6i-
Iations are illegal under the common
aw. Therefore they could, without ref
rence to the statutes, be indicted at any
ime by the grand jury in any state; ana
very Democratic lawyer who is crying
mt for national control of the trusts
.nows that fact.
AS to the extent of this Zimmerman
darkness which is overspreading the
and in the words of our Democratic
riends. the census of 1900 discloses the
fact that only II per cent OF
ur industrial products in that year were
controlled by industrial combinations or
rusts, though as the growth has been
apid, the percentage may be little
anger now.
The speaker then defined a trust,
howing the usual method of formation
rom smaller concerns, the doubling or
ripling of the nominal capital invested,
m which dividends were expected to be
,aid. and the control and monopoly OF
rade which they may exercise. 1t is to
,e admitted that there are great evils
.bout the trusts, and they ought to be
regulated if possible, though the speak
r explained that he had no prejudice
.rainst a man or a corporation simply
because he or it had acquired wealth,
IS did the western judge, who, having
ooked upon the wine when it was red
rave the jury this direct and concise
barge: "Gentlemen of the jury, it is
fundamental principle of the Democratic
,arty that it is opposed to all corpora
ions. This defendant is one OF EN-.
five 'em hell.
Where are these great corporations
,rganizedP Under the laws OF some
tate, mostly in New Jersy, though L
I'm sorry to say the Maine law is now
.lmost as vicious as that of New Jersey.
The national government has no con.
rol whatever over the organization OF
hese corporations, nor has it any author
ty over the trusts in any way, except as
Ley come under the interstate com
nerce clause of the constitution.
Mr.. Bryan says that he would have a
aw passed that would prevent cor
,oration doing business in any other
tate than that in which it is organized.
When he is met with the objection that
such a law would be unconstitutional,
ne replies that he would amend the con-
,titution. What is the record OF the
Democratic party in the matter of con-
amendments? The Republic
cans presented in the national house
constitutional amendment giving con-
yress full power over industrial combi-
nations. How many Democrats in the
house voted in favor of submitting the
amendment to the states? Just four.
The next remedy proposed by the
Damocrots il a sort of St, Jacobs Ola