The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-14
SATURDAY EVENING,

G5a ! i & 2 I E 3
the democratic party. and / do not want
to see the republican party convicted Of
the same offense. We should understand
once for all that we must give as we'll rs
take When we make a bargain with for
eisn nation. Our care must be simply
that the bargain Is a good one for JUS,
that it will increase our productions. and
give to our men and women more work at
good wages. The time is ripe for such
treaties We ought to do five fold more
business at this moment with the Cen
trail and South American countries than
we are doing, and I firmly believe that
reciprocal treaties, following the line
marked out by Blaine and Mckinley,
must be secured before we obtain our
r1ghtful share of those markets.
Il believe that a reciprocal treaty can
be made with Canada which will very
greatly increase the business of the
United States, and which will prevent the
gradual transfer Of American enterprises
to Canadian soil. / believe that treaty
can be made with France, and possibly
one with Germany that will admit, at
least, our agricultural products into these
countries upon the same terms which the
producers of other nations receive. I be-
lieve that these treaties, or many of
them, would all be a part of the law of the
land now We're it not for the insane fear
that opposes and change in the tariff
schedules.
+ Monopolles.
"One more suggestion and I'shall have
finished. have heard some criticism re-
specting that clause in our platform Of
last year which declares that we favor
any modification of the tariff schedules
necessary to prevent their affording a
shelter to monopoly 1t ought to be true.
whether it is or not leave to your judg-
ment, that the democrats should have a
monopoly at least of the perversion and
misconstruction Of this phrase in the
platform. In my opinion it declares fun
damental truth In political and Industrial
economy. 1t does not contain the sug-
gestion even that the tariff is in any wise
responsible for the existence or the evil
OF those large corporations which are III
this day commonly called trusts It is
unfortunate that some more apt and def
mite word has not been employed to de-
scribe these coroprations. .0'
That there has been a tendency in re-
cent years towards consolidation and con-
centration. must be admitted by every
| thoughtful observer of affairs. I desire
to be absolutely candid upon this subject,
and say frankly that in my opinion the
tendency itself toward larger corporations
| cannot be destroyed by law, nor am pre-
poi gu 10 ESdy EtHaC H. ought TO De
Destroyed. It Is - part Of the
| development Of the time, and commercial
civilization. like moral civilization, is
moved by forces SO tremendous and ire
sistible that it is futile to attempt to gov
ern or control them by statute. Accom-
| pany1ng this concentra tion there are man
| ifest evils and vicious incidents which can
be eliminated and which must be elm
| mated.
Can Be Cured.
"The initial and fundamental vice OF
! the modern combination is over-c pitaliza-
| ton, and this is within the reach of the
government, and doubt not will be cor
| rected. I say here. as I have said many
times before that the laws, so far as they
! affect the so so-called trust should be posi-
tive and direct, and again record my be
lief that the modification of the tariff
schedules is not the remedy for whatever
| evils these vast concentrations, as mere
| corporations, contain. The republican
party, under the guidance of the resoluts
and courageous spirit, Theodore Roose
welt. has taken up this work. and while
| is difficult, and while we must not ex
| pect that we will Immediately accomplish
! every reform that is necessary. in thu
end we will solve this problem in the sam
intelligent. patriotic way. we have SOLVED
every other which the process Of tim'
to which have referred does not relat
to that ceaseless and persistent regula
| tion which must be directed to thes
corporati tions.
"I wish, however. ;, to emphasize tn
distinction between these corporations a
such. and the condition Of monopoly i
any industrial product. whether estab
lished by an individual, a co-partnershi
or a trust. Monopoly is intolerable. an
not more intolerable than it is unneces
sary.. 1t has been during the history {
the civilized world@a, crime when main
tained without the authority Of the gov
ernn1ent Competition is, as I believe
essential to the prosperity of the countr
and the permanence and safety Of it's busi
ness, and whatever power the governmer
has should be exercised to preserve an
maintain it.
II have been much criticized for using
at one time, the expression that the con
sumer is better entitled to competitio
than the producer is to protection. Th
superficial critic says that we are all pre-
ducers and all consumers and that tn
country cannot be divided into tw
classes. Let me suggest, however. tha
when monopoly comes there is just or,
producer Of the article and all who use
are consumers, and what said, and wha
} I repeat is that when such a situation
) presented the consumers Of that one artic
are better entitled to competition than tn
one producer is to protection. Fortunate
ly there have been few instances in whic
monopoly has been successfully estat
lished and maintained. But there is
tendency in that direction. There is
constant effort upon the part of the an
/ bilious spirits in some fields of commerc
to establish and maintain monopoly, ali
! if I understand our platform. it is to
applied to that condition and to these me-
and it declares that it, Notwithstanding q
other efforts that are made by the govern
ment to preserve competition; a nlonopo
is planted in our midst, that then wht