Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-09-24

The very soul OF Democracy is
enmity to monopoly. The thought
which inspires it, is that the door OF
opportunity must open to every
willing hand and skillful brain. All
of the policies of the Democratic
party, from the days of jefferson to
Bryan, have been grouped around
this great central pillar of liberty.
/ have said that today, the coun-
try is in the midst of a crisis. l
say this for the reason that until
within recent years. aye, within re-
cent months, all political parties de-
clared eternal enmity toward, and
warfare upon every form of mono
poly. Within the last few months,
the Republican party has absolutely
reversed its position and given n
lie to every platform adopted by It's
conventions. The new doctrine OF
the Republican party is, THAT there
are good trusts and bad trusts" and
that in making warfare upon the
trusts, we should use the EXTREMIST
care not to injure the good trusts.
l deny that there even was such a
thing as a good" monopoly. There
can no more be a good monopoly than
there can be a harmless rattle
snake. To attribute righteousness OF
purpose to a monopoly, is as ridlcul-
GUS as to ascribe patriotism to Ben
edict Arnold.
The sole end and purpose of mon
opoly is to annihilate competition,
and to fix arbitrary prices.
No man has yet given us the rule
by which the President proposes to
distinguish between good monopolies
and bad monopolies. Let me an
nounce the distinction which will be
made by Mr.. Hanna, and the man
ayers of the Republican party. A
good monopoly will be n that has
contributed literally to the Repub-
lican campaign fund; a bad mono
poly will be one that has refused to
contribute. But as none will refuse,
all will be good monopolies the
morning after election.
We are then confronted by the
proposition that the Republican
party proposes to p%erpetuate and
fasten upon the country for all time
these gigantic combinations. What
does this mean to our country? The
prayer that was forever upon the
lips of jefferson was that wealth
should be distributed among the
masses of the people. This was the
dream which inspired the brain OF
Lincoln: it was the principle for
which Jackson fought with heroic
courage. 1t is the thing that has
made our country great. In the in
dependence of the individual is
found the strength of the Republic
This is not possible, unless the ave
nues of opportunity are left open tc
every child that shall be born.
When you create corporations pow
erful enough to control the mines
from which the iron ore is obtain
ed; to own every furnace and mil
in which it is manufactured, and the
means of transportation to market
you close the iron and steel trade tt
the rest of the people.
When you centralize the great
railroads of the country into two Of
three gigantic systems you place be
yend- the limits of possibility the
building of a rival line.
When you gather and concentrate
the commerce of the country in {
few great concerns you enable the
, institutions controlling this vas
, wealth to crush all endeavor at com
petition.
When you permit the consolidation
of all the packing companies of the
country into a gigantic monopol!
! YOU give to it the power to fix 1t!
own price Upon the farmers princi
pal source Of wealth, and at thu
. same time, to levy an unjust tribute
| upon every man who has meat upol
his table. You make it possible tt
: rob both the producer and the con
Sumer-
l When the Republican party ha'
} passed it's asset currency and brancl
bank bills, it will have created
moneyed oligarchy with more arbi
} trary powers than were exercised
, by Peter the Great in the flood tid'
of his d~espotic sway, or than wer'
! possessed by a Roman dictator owe.
the inhabitants of a conquered prov
ince.
l What, then, is left to the youn,
l men of the country? They may be
COluG Illc ullSu HlCh VI hSoS 6iSU
) institutions. The independent citi
) zen, earning his livelihood in his owl
workshop, seeing before him con
D stantly the chance of enlargement O
: business and finally of opulence ant
! wealth, is of necessity disappearing
!, from the land.
l This process, unfortunately, pro
: ceeds by such insidious steps as tt
: be scarcely %discernible, except t
: those who study the drift of events
= Nevertheless, it is true that where i
, was possible for a man with limite'
: capital to, engage in a manufactuI
4 ing industry a few years ago, toda,
I this is not only impossible, but in
: stitutions of enormous wealth hav'
: been compelled by these mighty con
binations to surrender their fran
' chises and rights and to quit bus
ness, or &c into bankruptcy.
INFANT INDUSTRIES HAVE BE
: COME GIANT MoNoPoLiEs.
There can be no doubt but that tn
Republican party has absolutely sui
rendered to the trusts. Let us trac