The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-09-17
nopolies in defiance Of law and pub
lie cnnfinnoA,k

nopolies in defiance Of law and pub
lie sentiment.
We insist that the integrity of the
money Of the nation be guarded with
jealous care and demand that it shall
be sufficient in volume to meet the
needs of the business interests of the
country, and that it shall be safeguard
ed by careful legislation, so as to
prevent the gamblers of Wall street
from cornering the money market,
thus inflicting untold injury upon the
smaller business men, the farmers and
the laborers of the land.
We point with pride to the one hun
dredth anniversary of the achieve
ments of that great diplomat and DEM
ocratic statesman, Thomas Jefferson,
under whose administration the Louis
lana territory, of which Iowa was a
part, was secured from a foreign pow
er in peaceful and civilized way,
without the loss of life, yet with the
consent of the governed.
In the great exposition to be held
in st. Louis in 1904, to properly com
memorate this event, the people OF
Iowa should take a prominent part
and make creditable exhibit of the
products of the soil and the work of
the crafts.
We deplore the corrupt condition
of the government service jr the post
office department and demand thor.
ough Investigation of that and other
departments by congressional COM
mittee, publicity as to such conditions
and punishment of all wrongdoers.
AS the most alarming features OF
our present conditions are the evils
which come from trusts and as these
evils are made possible by privileges
and by monopoly of original sources
of supply of natural products, there
fore to the end that the evils connect
ed with the growth of trusts may be
eliminated we call for the removal Of
the tariff from all trust goods and de-
mand that all tariff schedules be ad-
justed with view to raising revenue
only.
We ask for such changes in our
laws statutory or constitutional as will
limit the charges by railroads to such
an amount as will yield only a reason
able return on the capital actually in
vested and will render it impossible
for transportation favors to be granted
to any one and such as will make GER
tain that all railway companies will
be treated alike, such statutes to pro-
vide penalties that will be effectual
to secure compliance with them.
When the sources of supply of any
product are in the ownership of those
who combine to extort from the pee
pie an unreasonable amount for such
products then we believe it is the
duty of the government to take such
steps as may be necessary to secure
an equitable distribution thereof, with
fair compensation to the owners of
the same, and so that the design of
nature in making provisions for the
wants of man may not be perverted
into means for his oppression.
The fundamental principle of demo-
cracy, equal rights to all and special
privileges to none" applies in full
force to the subjects Of taxation. The
democratic party believes that the
burden of taxation should be borne
equally by all taxable property and
pledge our members Of the general
assembly to formulate and urge the
adoption of such laws as will compel
the burdens of taxation to rest ON cor
poration and individual property alike
without favor to or exemption to any
interest.