Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-03
WADE ON ANTITRUST laws.
coneressman-eIect From Second Dis
trfct Declares Views.

M. j. Wade, congressman elect from
the second Iowa district in speaking OF
antitrust legislation and socialism
says:
We'll l believe On the whole that
a good beginning has been made. If
the succeeding congress takes the
question UP and follows it out as it
should, there is no doubt a satisfact-
DRY solution may be reached. 1t is
something to have made a start in the
right direction. 1t seems to me that
the antitrust legislation enacted by
congress this session the anti-rebate
measure is capable of being made
the more effective. OF course it is OBJ
vious that everything depends upon
how the measure is carried out. We
can have an interminable number of
anti-rebate measures spread them on
the statute books and nothing comes
of them if they are not carried out in
the right spirit. believe however,
If this law is enforced as it should be
it will accomplish considerable. There
is no doubt that it is in part by taking
advantage of Determinations in freight
rates that some of the great combin-
ations of the country have built them
selves up. AS to the publicity feature
of the department of commerce bill,
have no great faith in that. 1t is easy
enough for great corporations to make
reports to the head of the department
of commerce in a way that will be alb
solutely unintelligible to the average
man and mean nothing to him, al
though an expert might be able to in.
terpret them.
THE trust question is a difficult
question to deal with properly from the
fact that the man who opposes trusts
is apt to be unreasonable in his de
mands concerning them. 1t is time il
seems to me, when there should be
something done to educate the public
sentiment of this country. If this is
not done We will wake UP some morn
ing and find ourselves face to face
with a worse danger than any that
now menaces the country, that is
socialism. The socialists Of the coun
try are gradually increasing in
strength. The only way to counter
act this, is to give the public mind tc
understand that the evils that do ex.
ist will be squarely met and intelli.
gently considered. The people of this
country should begin to realize that
no doctrine that eontemplates a break
ing away from the fundamental prin
ciples on which our government rests
has any place here. l believe tina
many of our public men make the mis-
take of following out and considering
only those lines of action that theil
own minds tell them are correct, in
/ stead of locking about them and sor1
of drawing a line on the notions of the
other fellows. 1t will not do in these
days because a mar has a proposition
to advance that you do not believe il
to dismiss it as nonsense. | believe
public men should be reasonable il
in those things and that when a mar
approaches you with any reform hi
may desire to see carried out, that his
idea should be fairly considered, sc
long as he stands on ground that is
not inconsistent with the principles o
this government. But when it comes
to common ownership of property ant
those principles advocated by the so
cialists. there the line should be drawn
sharply. 1t is true many men believe
in municipal ownership and the social
lists point to this as proof that the pub
lie has to take up with their ideas. Blu
municipal ownership should be con
sidered entirely apart from socialism
and so with the propositions for pub
lie ownership of telegraph. mines, rail
roads and the like. On all these ques
tons, public men should be willing t.
meet other men half way and Civ,
+h1,, narDF,,1 nuoctirofio onI COW;
GUS consideration. The line should b
drawn only on propositions the carry
ing out of which would wrest this gov
eminent from the foundations laid b.
the constitution"