Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-11-17
the controlling issue of the contest upon
which we are entering.
Trusts fbe Vital Tesua

the controlling issue Of the contest upon
which we are entering.
Trusts the Vital Issue.
The trust question presents the mos,
acute phase OF the contest between
democracy and plutocracy so far as eco
nomic issues are concerned. The pres
ident virtually admits that the trusts
contributed TO his campaign fund, but
he denies that they received any prom
Uses of aid or immunity. No well-in-
formed person doubts that the large
corporations have furnished the repub-
lican campaign fund during the cam
paigns of 1896 and 1900 and 1904, and
no one can answer the logic of Judge
Parker's arraignment Of the trusts con-
tribution.
The trusts are run on a business
principle. They do not subscribe mil
lions of dollars to a campaign unless
they are paying for favors already grant
ed or purchasing favors for future de-
livery. The weakness of Judge Parker's
position was that the charge was made
at the close of the campaign, when it
was neutralized by a counter charge.
THE trusts cannot be fought success
fully by any party that depends upon
trust funds to win the election.
THE democratic party must make it's
attack upon the trusts so vehement that
no n will suspect of secret aid from
them. 1t will be to its advantage if it
will begin the next campaign with an
announcement that no trust contribu-
lions will be accepted and then prove
its sincerity by giving the public access
to its contribution list. In public enter
prises the names of contributors are
generally made public in order to denote
the character and purpose Of the work.
President Roosevelt has four years in
which to make good his declaration that
no obligations were incurred by the ac-
ceptance of trust funds. He will dis
appoint either the contributors or the
voters. If he ~disappoints the contrib
utors, the trust question may be put
in the process of settlement. If he dis
appoints the people, they will have q
chance to settle with his party four
years hence.
death to Private Monopoly"
"'Death to every private monopoly
must be the slogan of the party in this
question; any other position is a sur
render. The platforms of 1900 and 1904
declare that a private monopoly is indie
feasible and intolerable, and this dec
laration presents the issue upon the trust
question.
THE party must continue its defense
OF the interests of the wage earners; it
must protect them from the encroach-
ments of capital. The fact that the la
boring men have not always shown their
appreciation of the party's position
ought not to deter the party from doing
its duty in regard to them.
THE labor question is not one that
concerns employers and employees alone;
1t concerns the entire community and
the people at large have an interest in
the just settlement of labor controver-
sizes; for that reason they must insist
upon remedial legislation in regard to
hours and arbitration, and they must so
limit the authority of the courts in on
tempt cases as to overthrow what is
known as government by injunction.
1.-THE party must continue its opposi-
ton to national banks of issue and must
insist upon divorcing the treasury de-
partment from Wall street.
THE party must continue it's fight for
the popular election of senator's and for
direct legislation wherever the prin-
cfple can be applied. 1t must not only
maintain its position on old issues, but
it must advance to the consideration
of new questions as they arise.
1T takes time to direct attention to
an evil and still more time to consoli-
date sentiment in favor of a remedy, and
Mr.. Bryan is not sanguine enough to be-
lieve that all the reforms that he fayors
will at once be Endorsed by any party
platform, but he will proceed to point
out the reforms which he believes to be
needed.
Among these may be mentioned the
postal telegraph system, state owner
ship of railroads, the election of federal
judges for fixed terms and the election
of postmasters by the people for their
respective communities.
Instead of having the government
controlled by corporations through
officers chosen by the corporations, we
must have a government of the people,
by the people and for the people-a gov
eminent administered according to the
J~effersonian maxim of equal rights to
all and special privileges to none
Hope and duty point the way. To doubt
the success of our cause is to doubt the
triumph of the right, for ours is and
must be the cause Of the masses.
with malice toward none and char
ity for ALL let us begin the campaign
of 1908; let us appeal to the moral SEN
timent of the country and arraign the
pn1ioias ~ Tho ,nr,,h1;aou ,o-.lx. lzrz--