Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-10-14
Hon. John L. Webster Address
ses Large Audience of Guth
RE Center Republicans
HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD TRUSTS
Republican Party as Much Opposed as
Democrats to Unlawful Combinations
of Capital But Favors Combination
of Energies For Accomplishment of
Legitimate Purposes.

Special to Times Republican.
Guthrie Center Oct. 1.-THE repub-
lean campaign was opened here TINS
i Afternoon, when Hon. John J.. Web
ster addressed a large audience. He
devoted considerable attention 10 the
trust question and was frequently in
terrupted with applause. He said in
part:
The democratic party charges that
the republican tariff system fosters
| monopolies and Is the father of trusts.
To get rid of these evils it would
abolish the tariff on every article that
enters into the production of these cor
| porations, even tho 1t should work A.
| nancial ruin TO hundreds OF thousands
| of people engaged in like industries.
The republican party is willing to take
| off the duty where it viii strike u blow
| at monopoly and benefit the people. Ii
struck such a blow at the coal mon
| opoly, and il Will continue to strike
such blows wherever circumstances
| justify it.
! The republican party is as much OPP
| posed as Is the democratic party 70
unlawful combinations of capital
whether formed for the purpose Of
creating oppressive monopolies. or un-
der the guise of trusts exacting from
| The people unjust tribute to enable
| them to pay dividends upon fictitious
capitalization of stock
But the republican party is not OPP
| posed to the combination OF energies.
| whether 1t be in the form of muscle.
brain or capital, when used for proper
purposes and for the accom- lishment
| of legitimate ends. The republican
| party understands that the combined
efforts of one hundred working men.
working together tremendously and in
unity. applying their different capabili-
ties and skill to the making of the sep
arate parts of single manufactured
article, and by the use of improved
and expensive machinery will produce
a more valuable output than will the
same number of men working separ-
ately and in their individual capacities.
The r6,..et .ssty li'-.svIse un-
derstands thar to reach tic best results
there must be a combination OF capital
so that advantage may be taken of the
lessened cost OF production. the cost
of transportation. the economizlng of
unnecessary expenses, and to produce
and have on hand a sufficient quantity
of the manufactured product to meet
the increased demands at home and
go into competition with other nations
in the markets OF the world.
Il do not object to a combination af
capital for the producing of agricultu-
raj machinery simply because II may
thereby be able to send its plows and
harrows to the farmers of far-off Aus
tralia.
II do not object to the combination
of capital among contractors for the
building Of steel structures simply be-
cause they are thereby enabled to build
bridges over the branches of the Nile
in far-off Africa.
II do not object to the combna alton
of capital for the building OF railway
cars simply because after the demand
a home is supplied they send the sur
plus to the countries of Europe.
Il do not object to the combination
of capital for the building of locomo-
tives simply because in the year 1899
they sent abroad 5l7 railway engines 10
maui cars upon tlle IdllIodt!S VI i dllte
and Finland and Denmark and Italy |
and Algiers and China.
Il do not object to Rockefeler's COM |
bination of capital simply because the
Standard Oil Company owns its own
tanks and oil cars. nor because it
transports oil In it's own ships across
the Atlantic ocean, and has its ware /
houses at Amsterdam.
Il do not object because Americana
combination of capital has enabled /
American producers to send American
manufactured goods of one sort or an
other into all the ports of all the ma
tons of the eastern and western and |
southern continents.
But we must draw the line some
where. When we undertake to COM
plain of monopolies and trusts. 1t re-
quires judgement and skill and dis
cernment just az 1t required skill and
discernment for the republican party at
different times to establish appropriate
tariff systems to build up American
manufacturing industries.
THE republican party is not a wor-
shipper of particular schedules of rates.
These it has changed in years gone by,
and these II will change as circumstan-
ces call for it: but these changes will
always be along the line of protective
principles.
But, at the same time. when the
republican party finds that unlawful
and unjust monopolles are created,
no matter under whatever form or I'M
der whatever name. 1t will take them
up by the roots and branches, If You
will but give 1t time and opportunity.
IF there has been any one particular
policy under which the administration
of President Roosevelt has assumed a
prominence above all others, 1t is his
determined purpose to enforce the
Sherman antitrust law. If he had per
formed no single act other than caus
ing the suit to be instituted by the at
torney general by which the United
States court of appeals of this circuit,
of judges appointed by re-
publican presidents entered its decree
declaring the Northern Securities Com
pany to be an unlawful combination.
In violation Of the Sherman anti-trust |
law. he would be entitled to the graft
tude of the american people