The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1902-10-10
Gonmoner Comment.
Extracts From ". }. Bryan's 80.

progress II the republicans OF Gen
eral HendersOn's district III the speak
ers place with tariff reform he viii
hold the Cummins men but lose the
Henderson men; il the place is filed
By a Henderson man he VIII be neces-
sarily weaker than General Henderson
himself The chances, therefore are
good for Governor Boies, the demo
cratic candidate, unless his abandon
ment OF the Kansas City platform
weakens him among the democrats.
But while the withdrawal CT Speak
CT Henderson brings dismay and cor
fusion 70 the republicans Il also brings
responsibility 70 the democrats Pub
lie attention is now attracted 70 the
free list as a remedy for trusts. That
is the only remedy the reorganizers
have proposed and its insufhciency viii
soon become apparent On investigation
II must not be put forward as a con-
plete remedy for the trust evil, but as
a means Of preventing the extOrtion
now practiced by manufacturers who
hide behind the tariff and sell at q
high price at home while they sell
abroad in competition with the world
II democrats PrOROs tariff reduction
as a complete remedy for the trusts
they will be met BY two unanswerable
arguments; first, that a trust that can
export can exist without a tariff. md.
second. that there are trusts in Eng
land. which is generally pointed 70 as
free trade country.
Democrats who rely upon the free
list as a complete remedy or as the
only remedy for the trust VIII soon be
on the defensive. but democrats who
rely upon the free list as a remedy for
trust extOrtiOn viii put the republicans
on the defensive
AS The Commo1er has repeatedly
pointed out, trust-made articles should
be put on the free list for the protection
Of the public. but the party will make
a fatal mistake If it stops with that
1t must attack the principle Of mOnOpO-
" and present a remedy which viii
make it impossible for a private mon
OpOly TO exist in the United States
The Kansas City platform presents
such a remedy and it is the only rem
edy now before the public It is sim
pie, and easily applied, and il has the
merit Of striking the evil It aims at
without disturbing corporations en-
gagged in legitimate business
The monOpOlies are here and they
are growing: the republicans are at
sea; the leaders Of the party, raised TO
power by trust contributions, are i'm
potent to do anything They dare not
enforce the criminal law against trust
magnates; they dare not offend manu-
facturers who have both money and
the power to coerce voters The re-
publicans have talked about publicity,
but they have allowed six years to 90
without even trying that remedy Now
the president suggests q still more re-
mote remedy. Without evidence he as
sumes that congress is powerless 20
apply an effective remedy and proposes
an amendment which requires, first,
two-thirds OF both houses; second,
three fOurths Of the states, and. third,
a federal statute carrying out the new
amendment Why thus postpone &C
ton for an indefinite period unless il
is certain that present power Is eX-
hausted2 Why not enforce the Grim
inal law now on the statute bOOk2 II
they refuse to enforce that. are they
likely to enforce some future law?
If the republicans viii not adopt rem
edies already permitted by the COZ
stitution are they likely to enact legis-
lation 70 be authorized by some future
amendment
The democrats can charge that the
republicans do not intend TO destOy
private monOpolies and they can cite
IS proof the inactiOn Of republican
presidents. republican senators. repub-
I
Judges. and they can also cite the ar
guments made by republicans from the
president down IN defense Of the very
| monopolies which they promise TO at
/ tack. They are doing now on the
trust question what they did OF the
money question in 1886 Then they
promised international bimetallism,
while they made arguments in favor
Of the gold standard. which they
cauued sound money; now they
| promise to curb the trusts. while re-
| publican editors and speakers defend
them as a necessary evil
The democrats have a great oppOr-
| tunity; they should improve it Let
them urge the free list as a protection
/ from extortiOn ard let them advocate
/ publicity, not as a remedy in ITSELF
/ but rs an aid TO a remedy, and then let
| them demand that the republicans &C
| cept or oppose the Kansas City plat
/ form remedy. which lays the axe at
/ the root of the tree and strikes a
/ blow that viii kill. Let the CORPORA
/ ton be shut in the state OF its orig
/ nation and let IL be denied the use
/ of the mails. the telegraph lines and
| the railroads until il shows BY con-
/ elusive proof that IL is not trying 10
| monoDolize any branch Of business or
| the production Of any article Of mer-
| chandiSe-
This is a remedy. easy OF application.
| effective and complete. No other has
/ been proposed
The Lincoln CNeb-) Journal, lead
! ing republican organ Of Nebreska de-
| cIa-es that the Fowler bill is not an is
sue because fe expired with the con
/ 1880 n --1,fcb II Vas introduced The
/ Fowler bill was not introduced in the
/ last congress. but in the first session
/ OF the present congress II is on the
/ .ouse calendar with the recOnmenda-
/ ton that il be passed The amount OF
/ transformation that the average re-
! publican organ can accumulate IS won
i derful to behold
The United States senate already has
so many railroad magnates that il has
| been impossible to secure the passage