Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-10-11

bOStOl, oct. S.--MOTe tHuH OTulHuTt
interest was attached to the annual
dinner OF the Republican club OF Massa-
chusetts here last night from the fact
that the club has as guest Leslie NJ.
Shaw, the secretary of the treasury
The speakers included, besides Mr..
Shaw, Governor Crane. Lieutenant
Governor Bates and Senator Lodge.
In opening the after dinner exercises,
President Draper expressed regret that
Secretary of War Root, who was an
invited guest, should have been kept
away on account Of the stress Of na-
tiOnal affairs. Mr.. Draper then pre-.
sented Governor Crane. Governor
Crane spoke briefly. His duties, he
said, were brief and simple. They
We're hOnOred with the presence of Il
member OF the presidents s cabinet. He
took great pleasure in presenting to him
the greeting Of the commonwealth.
President Draper next introduced
Mr.. Bates, who gave II historical sketch
of the manufactures of Mnssachu-
setts. and made plea for Il continu-
ance of the protective tariff, which, he
said, had made possible Massa hui
setts' remarkable success in business.
Mr.. Shaw was introduced as the man
who had met problems in such way as
to receive the praise of the people. His
subject proper was ''The Trusts" He
submitted as one proposition that the
Democratic party seemed to care more
for establishing campaign issues than
for the wise management Of affairs
when the campaign was over.
Mr.. Shaw said that rs far back as
1888, when the trust question was in
its infancy, the very best brain and the
very best craftsmanship of the Demo
cratic party eliminated in n report that
they did not know what to do, and with
n recommendation that subsequent con-
crosses deal with Il subject admittedly
too complicated for them to solve. 1t
did not take long for Republican states
manship to formulate remedy. "Sen-
ate file No. L." was the journal deslg-
nation for the bill now known as the
Sherman antitrust law. 1t passed
both houses. 1t was signed, and it re-
mains the only antitrust law Of Il
federal nature on the statute books
this day.
Mr.. Shaw gave quota tions to shO v, he
said that in 1890 the biggest Demo-
crat in congress-thelr leader-Opposed
the Sherman act-tirst, because 1t was
evolutionary; second, because II would
be ineffective; third, because the state.
and not congress, should deal with the
evil. and then urged revision OF the
tariff as cure-all and also to snow
that while he did this in most siren
uous way, he recognized and admitted,
as the mOuthplece of his party. that
placing trust-cOntrOlled articles on the
free list would punish the innocent to-
gether with the guilty." tina, it would
introduce such "vucillatiOn in oiir tar
iff laws as would unsettle business"
and that it would "invite combinations
for mere purposes of speculation"
When the opposition party, fighting
with united ranks in 1890, and on the
eve of great victory, would not 90 l.
slider Il remedy so manifestly fraught
with evil, Mr.. Shaw said did not be-
lieve the Republican party, in the midst
of its greatest achievements, will pick
up a Democratic castaway.
If there Is Il monopoly OF any kid in
the United States it probably is the
Standard Oil company. and yet its sue
cess has been in no manner dependent
upon the tariff. Protection, then. is
not the cause of this monopoly, and If
not the cause Of all mOnOpOlies then
its removal would not cure all mOnOpO-
lies.
Existing laws against trusts are be-
ing vigorously enforced. This policy
must be continued and the laws them
selves must be reinforced wherever
needed. But there are some things
that must be permitted to regulate
themselves.
Mr. Shaw doubted that the govern
ment can prOtltably dictate either the
width of railroad track, or the weight
of the iron, or the size of the ship, of
the capital to be employed in au in
dustry. 1t can require the railroad to
fence its right-Of-way, and the common
carrier to carry goods for all at Il COM
mon rate. 1t can demand that the big
ship shall not run down the small one.
and that 1t shall give sailing vessels
the right-Of-way. 1t may and must en-
force the present law. which forbids
combinations, cOnspiracies and mo-
nOpOlies, and it must strengthen every
weak place by additional legislation. 1t
should invite competition among Amer
lean producers, but it should never
throw wide our doors to the products of
poorly paid Europeans or the presence
OF poorly paid Asiatics.
In Mr.. McKinley's speech Of accept,
ance of his first nomination he de.