Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-28
WHERE LABOR SHOULD LOOK
Major Lacey Points Out the Difference Be
tween the Tive Parties.
DEMOCRACY DOES NOTHING FOR ToILERs
FRIlscy of tic Theory That
Tariff IL the Mother Of Trusts
Pointed Out - Congress
Needs Power.
(From a Stan correspondent

osKALoOsA. Ia. Sept. 27.-(special.)-
Hon. John F. Lacey opened his speaking
campaign this afternoon in the town Of
Bethel, Mahaska county, where he ormerly
lived, speaking at an afternoon meeting.
Major Lacey discussed chiefly the trusts,
the tariff, the Philippines and the ques-
ton Of labor union in politics. He is op-
posed by John P. Reese, until recently
president Of the District Mine Workers
union, hence the labor question has been
thrown into the campaign in his district
more than elsewhere. Major Lacey de-
clared that the attempt is being made In
the district to carry the labor unions into
politics, and not only to divert them from
their present prudent and useful purposes,
but to unite them to the democratic party
upon the Kansas City and Chicago plat
forms, which platforms were Endorsed by
the convention which nominated Reese for
congress. He declared his disbelief that
the time has come when a labor leader
can carry his union into any political
party at his own will and especially to
make the labor unions a sideshow to the
free trade party. Should Mr.. Reese be
elected to congress he would find that he
must cooperate with the democratic party,
and he will find that he has embarrassed
every labor union In the country by the
assumption that his election would ANAL
gamate the unions with the democratic
party. Every state In the union has some
labor laws, but the democratic states of
the south have given less recognition to
labor than any others.
Labor by Republicans.
The laboring men OF the country know full
we'll that the republican states Of the north
have enacted wholesome and necessary
law along the various lines desired by the
labor organizations. They know that by
non-partisan action, keeping their unions
cut of politics. they have been enabled TO
ask for Legislation in Iowa Of the repub-
licans and in Missouri of the democrats.
They know" he continued, that the con-
gress of the United States has enacted
numerous laws in the interest of the labor
ing people of the country. The miners Of
the whole country know full we'll that l
have personally prepared and secured the
enactment of law for their protection In
the territories of the United States, the
only part Of the country where congress
has the authority to regulate and control
the operation of mines. There is only one
party OF LABOR IN the OnlIeu states anu
that is the party formed nearly forty years
ago to make all labor free in this country"
In regard to trusts Major Lacey declared
that the question is not new. for the repub-
lican party in 1890 passed the Sherman
antitrust law, which forced these aggre-
cations Of capital to change their form and
by becoming great single corporations evade
that law. 1t has been a favorite doctrine
Of our democratic friends, he said. that the
tariff is the mother OF trusts and that free
trade would cure the trust evil, but two OF
the greatest trusts in the country, the oil
trust and the coal trust, have no connec-
ton with the tariff. There are trusts in
other countries and the Dingley bill cannot
be responsible for them. They are an ev-
olution Of conditions which have arisen and
must be dealt with in a practical way.
IL ImpOtent.
Many Of the states Of the union have Sc
we're laws tending to curb the power OF
these organizations and the courts have held
that the national congress has no power.
To meet this dificulty Speaker Henderson
was instrumental in bringing forward the
proposed amendment to the constitution Civ
ing congress the needed power to control
their organizations. Democrats opposed
this. The only remedy they propose is
to take of the duties on goods partly manu-
featured by trusts. That this is not the
remedy is evident in the continuation of the
coal oil trust and anthracite trust under
free trade.
In regard to the tariff he said that while
tariff schedules are not in any wise sacred
nor are they to be held u~nchangable, yet