The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-10-06

tne depuDllc was ROUNDED, at THIS IN
slant when even foreign statesmen
are naming the present 'the American
era"-the American people are asked
by the Opposition to deliver their gov
ernment to an Opposition which as a
party would have wrecked American
prosperity and impaired American
prestige had it conducted the govern
ment for the last eight years. And
they ask this upon the ground that
they now admit that In the past we
were right and they were wrong
They ask the American people to re-
ject us and accept them upon the
ground that, If given power, they
would not destroy many things the
Republican party has done IL they
could. and could not destroy other
things the Republican party has done
II they would.
Does this attitude appeal to Ameri-
cans? We are a thoughtful people;
political parties must convince the
American peoples reason. We are a
righteous people: political parties
must appeal to the American peoples
conscience Reason and conscience
are the pillars that support free In
stitutions.
How Parker's Election Would Help.
How could Parker's election help
the present situation! What admitted
results would follow the victory of
the Opposition? First. tariff agita-
ton which could not result in legisla-
ton; for Mr. Parker tells us that the
Republican Senate would prevent any
tariff revision which an Opposition
House would pass; but that the Oppo-
sition for four years would batter the
Senate's doors with tariff revision
bills. What would come of that? It's
certain result would be uncertainty.
Fearing that some compromise meas
ure might pass; ignorant of what the
revision would be, sure only that all
business would have to be readjusted
to II when it came. business would de-
cline to the lowest living point. Fac
| tories would not advance supplies
against an uncertain future; mer
chants would not stock up against an
uncertain future; banks would not
loan against an uncertain future; the
farmers market would shrink because
the-e we're not 80 many people buying
his PRODUCTS as before, and those who
still bought were buying less than
they ever did before. And this would
mean hard times again; 1t would mean
1893 again-another era of bank fail
! ures. farm mortgages, railroad fore
closures and upon the streets and over
the highways of the land the dread
and swelling army Of the unemployed.
Uncertainty, a Certain Result.
Uncertainty. the only certain result
of the Opposition's action on the tar.
suit in finance: uncertainty. the only
certain result in those deeper ques-
tions of our industrial development.
For is the Opposition's attitude
on trusts satisfactory to any
body? It's platform demands new
laws against them-laws that will
destroy, Eot regulate. But the Op-
positions candidate declares present
law sufficient and demands its
enforcement Yet Republican
Congress passed the only law to
restrain trusts ever created till
Theodore Roosevelt became prestlent
President Cleveland In a formal mes
sage to Congress declared that law
ineffective; but Theodore Roosevelt
said: 'T will leave that question to
the courts" and enforced 1t. And the
only new laws added to our statutes
correcting the abuses Of these mighty
modern corporations were placed
there last year by Republican Con-
gress on the demand Of Theodore
Roosevelt. a Republican President-a
law preventing railroads from grant
ing rebates and q law creating a new
department of government beginning
permanent control by the Nation Of
corporations doing business through
| out the Nation.
So II the Oppoeition's demand for
sc~ savs II right, Republican al
DisistrAsion has answered it. II Mr..
Cleveland was right, a Republican con-
gress has supplied the deficiency. II
Mr.. Parker is right. Republican Pres
ident has enforced existing law. Let
every man who wants the abuses oi
trusts restrained choose between the
Republican party and laws actually
passed, and the Opposition which
when In power did not add q word to
the statutes on the subject Let them
choose between Parker. who says that
no new law was or Is needed, but that
the common law Is enough If enforced
and the man who said, New laws are
necessary" and then secured their
passage: the men who said, "Old laws
and new laws and all laws must be
enforced" and then enforced them
That man is Theodore Roosevelt.
Tariff and Trusts.
The Opposition demands that the
tariR be taken from trust-made arti
cles. How would that hurt the Stan
ward Oil Company, the greatest trust.
the most complete monopoly the world
has ever seen? There is no tariff on
oil. II the tariff is the cause of trusts,
what caused this greatest of trusts?
1t would not hurt the anthracite coal
combination, If there be such q COM
bination-therei is no tariff on anthra-
cite coal. It would not hurt the beef
trust; but free cattle would hurt the
American farmer and grazer who
raises them.
Free Trade No Cure for Trusts.