The Ely miner., 1902-07-11

SOUNDS THE KEYNOTE
Senator Knute Nelson Outlines the Issues of
the Campaign in His Speech to the
Republican State Con-
Vention.



great abundance, and we have become
the financial center of the world. Money
is plentier and interest lower here than
in any other country, and today. our
country dominates the financial and in.
dustrfal world. Under the leadership of
Washington we gained our political In
dependence, and under the leadership of
Mckinley and Roosevelt we have gained
our industrial and financial independence.
THE tendency of the age, is combina-
tion and concentration, and where the
chief object Of this is to. lessen the cost
OF production so as to cheaper the cost
monopoly, suppress competition, or check
the reduction of price to the consumer,
the public will not be injured, and has
no fair ground for complaint.
DANGER OF TRUSTS.
But a combination which becomes in
one form OF, another an absolute monop-
stantial competition. is in its very es-
sence a menace and a danger, because
to a # aaa fhe pgusc
at the mercy and under the heels Of
single concern. None of us would like
S Se he sbe oee G nd ana he
might be, because we would be in his
power, subject to his whims and his ca
price at all times.
"The Republican party has not been
unmindful of its duty to protect the Am
erican people from the dangerous conse-
QuenceS or mOnOpOl1eS so Idr as the Sa me
can be done by legislation.
'In 1890 during the administration of
President Harrison when congress was
Republican in both. branches, the So
called Sherman antitrust law was en-
acted, prohibiting monopolies and COM
binations in restraint of trade, in inter
state commerce, which law is substan-
TALLY the only anti-monopoly legislation
On our federal statute books.
NO POWER IN CONGRESS.
'Tn passing upon cases brought under
this law, the supreme court of the United
States has, in substance, held that under
the federal constitution congress has no
power to regulate combinations or
guished from combination or monopoly
in traffic, and no power to regulate or
control combination or monopoly in other
than interstate traffic, and that the pow
er of regulating combinations or monop-
oily in manufacture and local traffic rests
with the several states, and not in the
federal government.
From this 1T is apparent that the act
Of 1890 has substantially exhausted the
power of congress in the premises, and
that 1T is far from affording adequate
relief. With q view of giving congress
ampler power to control monopolies and
hostile combinations, the judiciary COM
mittee of the house of representatives,
in the fifty-sixth congress, reported
joint resolution proposing the following
amendment to the constitution Of the
United States:
L.
this article shall extend to the several
states, the territories, the District of
Columbia, and all territories under the
sovereignty and subject to the jurisdic-
tion of the United States.
"Sec. 2.-Congress shall have power to
define, regulate, control, prohibit, or dis
solve sol trusts monopolies, or combinations
poration or otherwise.
1.-THE several states may continue to
exercise such power in any manner not
States.
Sec. s,--Congress shall have power to
enforce the provisions Of this article by
when this resolution was put on its
passage on May 81, 1900, nearly every
voted do aeainst a if IF fsired fo
pass for want of two-thirds majority.
which was lacking because of the united
opposition of the Democratic party.
LAW OF THE STATE.
"Our state legislature, when the Re-
publicans were in a majority and under
of preventing a monopoly in railway
transportation, in 1874, passed the follow
ing law:
sees, purchaser or managers of any rail-
road corporation, shall consolidate the
stock, property or franchise of such cor
works or franchise of, or in any way
control any railroad corporation owning
or having under its control parallel or
competing line; nor shall any officer of
such railroad corporation act as an Of
fcer of any other railroad corporation
owning or having the control of
parallel or competing line, and the ques-
ton whether railroads are paralleled or
competing lines shall, when demanded by
the party complainant be decided by a
jury as in other civil issues And in 1881
the following:
No railroad corporation shall consoli-
date with, lease or purchase, or in any
way become the owner of or control any
other railroad corporation or stock, fran
chise rights or property thereof which
owns or controls a parallel or competing
line, s1,
referred to, clearly express the public
will and the public demand; and you are
all familiar with the fact-and it is now
a. matter of public historg-that, Presi-
dent Roosevelt has not suffered the fed
eral law, nor Governor Van SAINT, the
state laws, to remain obsolete or dead
letter.
'I am confident, however, and feel fully
justified in saying to you that neither
of these high executive officials have
been actuated by-any feeling of ill-will
or hostility to our railroads or their able
and public spirited managers, but only
by the sense of public duty to execute
laws they have taken an oath to sup
1.-The builders and managers of our vast
railroad systems in the northwest have
performed great task and rendered a
most noble and important service in set
Ting and developing our great domain.
They have followed with swift pace in
the wake of the homestead settler and
often preceded him. They have borne
many burdens and encountered great diff
ficulties. They have brought good or
fair transportation facilities within the
easy reach of nearly all in the farthest
corner Of the state, and whatever may be
lacking in this respect they are fast sup
plying in energy, perseverance and abili-
ty, our great railroad men in Minnesota
stand second to none of their kind in the
entire country, and as such we are proud
of them. We cherish no hospitality to
them and wish them no harm; but wish
to live in harmony and in cooperation
with them at all times.
HISTORICAL FACTS.
Another great chapter of Republican
history remains to- be told.
when President Mckinley entered up
on the duties of his high office, the op-
pressed and down -trodden people of Cuba
had been for many years with varying
success, struggling to shake the yoke
of Sprain and to secure their indepen-
dence. Clevelands administration had
turned deaf ear to their appeals for as
sistance and had given them no material
or moral aid. But President Mckinley,
faithfully representing the feeling and
sympathy of the American people for the
poor Cubans, without delay proceeded
through diplomatic channels, to energet-
ically intervene in behalf of their indie
pendence, and I have no doubt but what