The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-07-14
the territory Of that people ought not
To h., ,o1-k nf tho Annorinar tloraain


duty to make that promise now, and
upon suitable guarantees of protection
to citizens of our own and other
countries resident there at the time
Of our withdrawal, set the Filipino
people upon their feet, free and indie.
pendent, to work out their own des-
tiny.
The endeavor of the secretary Of
war, by pledging the governments en-.
dorsement for promoters" in the
Philippine islands, to make the United
States a partner in speculative legis.
lation for the archipelago, which
was only temporarily held up by the
opposition of Democratic senators in
the last session, will, If successful,
lead to entanglements from which II
will be difficult to escape. ~
Tariff.
The Democratic party has been and
will continue to be the consistent op-
ponent of that class OF tariff legisla.
ton by which certain interests have
been permitted, through congressional
favor, to draw heavy Mbute from
the American people.
This monstrous peyversion Of those
equal opportunities. which our poht.
ical institutions were established to
secure, has caused what may ones
have been infant industries to be.
come the greatest combinations of
capital that the world has ever known.
These especial favorites of the gov
ernment have, through trust methods,
been converted into monopolies, thus
bringing to an end domestic compe-
tit1on, which was the only alleged
check upon the extravagant prof.
its made possible by the protective
system. These industrial combina-
lions, by the financial assistance they
can give, now control the policy of
the Republican party.
We denounce protection as a rob.
berry of the many to enrich the few,
and we favor tariff limited to the
aeeds Of the government, economical
ly administered and so levied as not
to discriminate against any industry,
class or section, to the end that the
burdens of taxation shall be distrib-
uted as equally as possible.
We favor a revis On and gradual
reduction of the tariff by the friends
of the masses and for the common
veal, and not by the friends of its
abuses, it's extortions and its dis,
ordinations, keeping in view the ulti-
mate ends Of equality OF burdens and
equality Of opportunities" and the con-
stituttonal purpose of raising a reve-
nue. by taxation, towit: The support
of the federal government in all its
integrity and virility, but in simplicity.
Trusts and Unlawful Combinations.
We recognize that the gigantic
trusts and combinations designed to
enable capital to secure more than its
just share Of the joint product Of cap
ital and labor, and which have been
fostered and promoted under the Re
publican rule, are menace to bene-
fetal competition and an obstacle to
permanent business prosperity.
A private monopoly is indefensible
and intolerable.
Individual equality of opportunity
and free competition arc essential to
a healthy and permanent commercial
prosperity, and any trust, combination
or monopoly tending to destroy these
by controlling production, restricting
competition or fixing prices, should be
prohibited and punished by law. We
especially denounce rebates and dis
elimination by transportation compa-
MES as the most potent agency in pro-
noting and Strengthening these un-
lawful conspiracies against trade.
We demand an enlargement Of the
powers of the interstate commerce
commission, to the end that the travel
ing public and shippers of this coun-
try may have prompt and adequate
relief for the abuses to which they are
subjected in the matter of Transports
ton.
We demand strict enforcement Of
existing civil and criminal statutes
against all such trusts, combinations
and monopolfes; and we demand tho
enactment of such further legislation
as may be necessary to effectually
suppress them.
Any trust or unlawful combination
engaged in interstate commerce which
is monopolizing any branch Of bust
ness or production, should not be per-
mitted to transact business outside
Of the state OF its origin. Whenever
1t shall be established in any court Of
competent Jurisdiction that such mo-
nopolization exists, such prohibition
should be enforced through compre-
hensive laws to be enacted on the
subject.
Reclamation of Arid Lands.
We congratulate our western citi-
zens upon .he passage Of the meas
ure known as the Newlands irrigation
act for the irrigation and reclamation
Of the arid lands of the west, meas
ure framed by Democrat, passed In
the senate by . nonpartisan vote and
passed In the house against the oppo-
sition Of almost all the Republican
! leaders by vote, the majority OF