The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-10-11

of any man that something has got to
be done to meet this situation.
The tariff gives the trusts their pow
er to a certain extent-and a congress
must be elected that will deal sanely
and fearlessly with the tariff.
The tariff remedy alone will not
meet the situation. The tariff could
do nothing with the coal situation.
The congress of the United States
must deal with the question OF owner =
ship and control of the great national
monopolies, the railroads and other
public franchises.
This question of government owner
ship is no longer a theory, is no longer
in the stage Of discussion. It can no
longer be sneeringly dismissed by the
ultra prosperous as a ridiculous COM
munistic dream. 1t is the important,
pressing question of the hour.
The Democratic platform of the
state of New York, written under con-
servative influences. demands that the
government shall seize, own and ope-
rate the anthracite coal beds-with due
compensation to present "owners."
Every sane person realizes and ad-
mits the justice of this demand. There
is no question as to the soundness of
government ownership when the alter
native is to freeze. The egregiously
stupid coal trust must be thanked for
presenting the issue of government
ownership so squarely 10 the people.
And Democratic house of repre-
sentatives must be elected to realize
the peoples will. There is no element
Of partisan politics in this editorial.
The politics Of the United States has
progressed beyond the point of parti-
sanship. There is nothing partisan
about this question.
Shall nine-tenths of the wealth of
the United States be owned by nine or
ten trusts, or by the whole people? -
It is known that the trusts depend
on Republican supremacy for . theip.
1u1 their ill., tlie I'M
ity with which they defy such anti
trust laws as exist, and for future laws
to facilitate their operations.
Every honest Republican, as we'll as
every Democrat, knows perfectly we'll
that every trust, without exception.
hopes and works and spends it's money
for the election of Republican house
of representatives.
Every Republican knows in his heart
that he must vote to elect a Demo-
cratic congress or give up hope Of reg.
ulating the present steady movement
towards the absorption of the national
wealth in a few individual hands.
The New York state Democratic
PLATFORM, which demands the govern
ment ownership and operation of the
anthracite coal beds, brings to a focus
the present great industrial question.
1t will add energy and emphasis to the
desperate efforts of the trusts to keen
their hold on the United States con,
gress.
The giant among trusts, the Stand
ard Oil company, issues certificates
which earn eighty per cent dividends
on hundred millions Of stock.
The only picture on these certificates
is a picture of the capitol at Washing
ton, in which congress sits, and that
picture is an apt indication of tho
Standard Oil trusts principal asset.
AAN pain VI t1lc DcIIOCEdCS Wn1Cn
demands government ownership of the
coal beds arouses the antagonism and
terror Of every trust. 1t attacks and
threatens every trust, because it in
wolves necessarily government control
of the railroads.
This Democratic plank is the best
possible and the strongest possible in
PRODUCTION into wide government own
ership.
If the government is to control the
coal beds it must control the railroads
to get the coal to market.
There is no use glossing over or con-
cealing the real meaning of this Dem
ocratic plank. The trusts and the rail-
roads have no illusions on the subject.
It is the realization of the idea which
this newspaper has been persistently
advocating ever since it's establish
ment.
Public ownership of public franchis-
eS.
The same Democratic platform that
demands government ownership OF the
coal beds has incorporated within it
another plank from this newspapers
policy, namely:
The election of senators by the peo-
pie.
This editorial is published today in
New York City, in Chicago and in San
Francisco. It is read, and we earnestly
trust that it will be discussed and COM
mented upon, by at least three mill,
| ions Of American voters.
Among these three millions of men,
very many, including thoughtful and
| conscientious citizens, have in the past
paid slight attention to the choice of
United States representatives.
This choice of your Congressman
should be today your most earnest
thought. The voters Of the country, il
they elect a Democratic house of re-
presentatives, will make it clear that
they are serious on the trust question.
The election of Democratic house
of representatives will prove that the
people of the country are in earnest it
will frighten the trusts temporarily in