The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-27

majority side of this Chamber, Therefore,
without endorsing your proposed meas
ures l call your attention to the fact that
the Republican party will go before the
country in the coming campaign compell-
cd to face broken pledge with respect
| TO its platform on monetary legislation.
TRUSTS.
Again, you have not only failed to pass
any measure curbing their power, but it
has been actually demonstrated that your
party is the friend of trusts and mono
poles. / find these words in your plat
| form:
eve recognize the necessity and pro-
priety of the honest cooperation of CAPT
tai to meet new business conditions, and
| especially to extend our rapidly increas-
! ing foreign trade; but we condemn all
| conspiracies and combinations intended to
restrict business, to create monopolies, to
| limit production, or to control prices and
favor such legislation as will effectively
restrain and prevent all such abuses, pro-
| tect and promote competition and secure
| the rights of producers, Iaborers, and all
who are engaged in industry and com
merce.'
Let us see what the Republican party
| has done with respect to the suppression
| or regulation of the trusts. Like the
| poor, it seems the trusts are to be with
| us always. Bear in mind the Republican
party is IN power. 1t has the Presidency
and both Houses of Congress by large
| majorities. If it desires to deal with
| this great national evil, it has untram-
meled power. There is absolutely nothing
| III the way Aye, more than this the min
ority stands ready to help you if you
are really honest in your purpose.
When your party swept the country in
| 1900, few were those who supposed that
any attempt would be made to rid the
american people of the trust evil. 1t was
charged--and, so far as [ know, never de-
Inied-that the trusts had contributed i'm
mense sums to the Republican campaign
| fund 1T was believed that your party
drew life and strength from the trusts.
| Without their aid you never would have
won that victory. Indeed the victory of
| 1900 was regarded as a trust victory. 1t
| is true you had denounced them in your
| platform. 1t is true you had promised re-
lief. 1t is true you had promised to exc
cute the law, but few people believed you
would do il. The creature can not con-
| troll its creator; consequently your party,
| it was believed, could not control the
trusts. On the contrary, thinking men
| reasoned that they would control you.
| 1t Is 'humiliating fact that money is
lallpowerful in our elections. Very small
majorities change results. Human nature
| is weak. Money is plentiful with the ia
vored few, who stand ready to give it
away to those who will serve them. Your
party, Mr.. Chairman, took their money.
| What you did with it l leave for the
American people to decide. 1t was
charged, and not denied, that your cam
paign fund amounted to millions. Those
in charge Of the fund know whether this
is true or not. For one do not believe
any political party has legitimate need
| for even $1,000,0O0 in any one campaign.
For one I believe the man who sells his
vote should be punished, but I believe
| the man who buys that vote should re-
| ceive the greater punishment The peni-
| tentiary is the proper home for men who
go over the country raising great sums Of
money to debauch the American voters.
! But your party had used the money
| contributed by these criminals, and it
! Would have been contrary to human ma
| tltEe lOE IHtl party 10 leSlSldCC It's most
valuable friends out of existence So
that when the victory of 1900 was won
the trusts felt that for four years more
at least they were safe The rich would
| grow richer. The trusts had found en-
poymcnt for the laboring man, who was
! told that he must be content. thank God
and the Republican party that something
had been found for him to do. His din
ner pail was full. For four years more
he would have plenty to eat-a full
stomach He must be satisfied with that
He must not dream of higher and better
things. The trust had provided him with
work and filled his stomach; therefore he
must be satisfied and vote the Republican
ticket How beautifully everything was
fixed! How satisfied was the trust For
four years not one wave of trouble was
to sweep across its benevolent breast
Now, Mr.. Chairman, | am not willing
to be construed as rejecting upon the
honor or integrity of any Individual Re
publican statesman. | am ready to admit
| that you have in the ranks of your party
statesmen who are just as sincere, just as
honest, and just as patriotic as can be
found in the ranks of the party to which
l belong, but it is impossible for your
party to conceal the fact that the trusts
of the country felt that the victory of 1900
was their victory and that they had moth
ing 10 fear from those they had helped
to elect. But when the strenuous Colonel
Roosevelt was made President by the
cruel hand of the assassin the trusts be-
came uneasy. Men all over the country
who honestly believed the trusts were on
pressing the people, because they were
fixing the price not only of what they
sold, but OF what they bought as we'll
said that at last man was President who
was bold enough to defy the trusts even
if by so doing he was retired to private
life.
Colonel Roosevelt had written much
against the cruel and unjust practices of
the trust. While Governor of New York
he had declared that
THE man who by swindlng or by
wrongdoing acquires great wealth for him
self at the expense of his fellow stands as
low morally as any predatory medieval
ncbleman and is a more Dangerous mem
her of society. Any law and any method
of constituting the law which will enable