The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-07-31

movement which sprung up during
the first days Of the Republic to turn
the Government into channels of
oligarchy, of class subserviency and
domination. Through all of its his
tory it has stood for equality in priv
ileges, equality of burdens. equality
OF opportunity. 1t has stood against
bounties. against largesses. against
special privileges and discriminating
favors. In more than one crisis in our
history it has rallied the people to
come together and, forgetting all
other differences, to stand together
in defeat of the Vaccinations of those
who would employ the functions of
Govsrn n,ent for their own benefit and
for the enslavement of the people.
But never before, during all the long
years Of it's existence, has the Demo-
cratic party performed greater SER
vice than it is performing today in
lrallying the people to make stand,
before it is too late, TO prevent the
appropriation by the predatory
classes for their own enrichment of
the powers of government.
Springing ont of Republican poll
cies. fostered and protected by Re-
publican legislation, there has sprung
into existence in this country during
the past six years nearly two hum
dred great tariff-protected com bina-
tions. They have monopolized for
their private benefit nearly all Of the
necessaries of life. They control
competition, they regulate produc-
tion, they fix prices. By controlling
the legislation of the country they
control the markets of the people.
They absolutely dominate and CON
troll the Republican party. That
party dares do nothing which they
oppose, and it stands ever ready to
do their bidding.
The dominion of these tariff pro-
tected monopolies over the Republi-
can party has never been so plainly
shown as during the present Congress
by the course of that party in the
matter Of Cuban reciprocity; in the
matter of it's failure and refusal to
enforce the Federal antitrust laws;
and in the matter of its refusal to
permit the consideration or enact
ment of any legislation looking to the
removal of duties on trust made
goods, or the reduction of duties on
goods sold cheaper abroad than at
home.
When Congress met last December
everybody admitted our obligation to
Cuba, our duty to see that this new
Republic, which we had brought into
existence, which had been devastated
and bankrupted by war, which by the
Platt amendment had lost it's free
dom Of treaty and foreign inter-
course, should be well and safely
launched. Her only hope of recuper
alton lay in her sugar crop. She had
no market except ours for this crop,
and the duty upon sugar imposed by
our tariff laws was SO high it could
not be sold here except at loss upon
the cost of production. In these con-
ditions the President, voicing the
sentiments of the people, declared
that reduction of these tariff rates
was duty and National obliga-
ton. Both Democrats and Republi-
cans in the House Of Representatives
joined in passing a relief measure;
but they added to the bill an amend
ment reducing the duty on refined
sugar, trust product, just as the
bill reduced the duty on raw sugar, q
farm product. This was fair mani
festly and eminently just, but it did
not suit the sugar trust. 1t was will
ling, indeed anxious, to have the
duty on raw sugar reduced, so it
might get it cheaper, but it would
neither consent nor permit any re-
duction of the duty on its own pro-
duct. There was not day during
the past session of Congress when
this bill, with this antitrust amend
ment, could not have passed the Sen
ate, but, rather than offend the sugar
trust. the administration forces in
the Senate abandoned the whole
scheme of Cuban reciprocity and
would not permit the bill to come to
vote. And SO it happens that Gu ba
must suffer injustice because the
sugar trust will not permit the Re-
publican party to discharge our Ma
tional obligation to it.
There is law upon the Fedora
books declaring illegal all combina-
tions in restraint of trade or for the
suppression of competition. II pro
vides that the Attorney General o.
the United States. through the
United States District Attorneys
shall bring civil actions against these
| com binations and shall institut.
criminal indictments against their
managers. During the past Con
gress we have demanded the enforce
ment of these laws, and we have of
fered, if they were not strong enough
to help to make them strong enough
Although something like two hundre,
of these illegal combinations hav'
been organized in the United State
during the past few years, and hav'
monopolized nearly all the necessa
ries of life and advanced prices, s.
that dollar will not buy today much
more than fifty cents would buy
few years ago, in disregard of th'
plain injunction of these anti-trus
laws, there is not today, so far as
know, single criminal indictmen
pending in the Federal courts agains
the managers of these tariff-protecte'
combinations, and only one civil suit
and that was not instituted until tn
fury of the people bad grown almos'
into riot, and it is being prosecute
so mildly that the beef trust, agains
which it is brought, has not even s.
much as halted in its career of lut
and plunder.
Not only Democrats, but Republi
cans. among them the present chair
man of the National Republican Con
gressional Executive Committee, i
responsets % the demands of the peopl
have introduced bills in the preser
Congress to take the duty off OF tru:
goods. In the discussion OF thes
bills in the House of Representatives