Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-06


Guilty is to establish the monopolization.
| The platform means nothing unless it
be a promise of legislation which will
reach mOnopolies that are not engaged
in interstate commerce. II the plat
| form has any meaning, 1t IS a promise
Of legislation at present beyond the
| jurisdiction of Congress. An Anend-
ment to the Constitution comforting
upon Congress authority to deal with
monopohes, whether engaged i'll inter-
state commerce or not, IS 4 prerequisite
to carrying out the implied promise OF
the platform. When such an amend
ment was proposed four years ago, the
Democratic leader of the House, in a
speech opposing it, said:
If We pass this constitutional
amendment. the effect Of it will be to
eliminate the trust question from the
campaign this year. Now, are We go :
ing to help do it? ! hope not
Thereupon the roll was called and
only one Democrat supported the
amendment.
Evidently the promise OF additional
legislation was put into the platform
for the sake of the campaign. But
lWhile the platform was intended only
for the campaign, it evidently alarmed
their candidate, and to conciliate those
who are dissatisfie with President
Roosevelt because of antitrust
litigation and because he has recon-
mended and secured additional anti
trust legislation. in his speech Of dc-
ceptarce the eminent jurist SAYS:
The common law, as developed.
affords a complete legal remedy against
monopoles.''
He thus Indirectly criticises the
existence of the Sherman antitrust
law, introduced by a Republican Sen
ator, passed by Republican Congress.
signed by Republican President, and
enforced by Republican Attorney
General at the instance of Theodore
Roosevelt. Neither the injunction
against the Northern Securities Com
pany, known as the Merger Case, nor
| the injunction against determinations
| by transportation companies, nor the
injunction against combinations of
packers, could have been secured under
| the common law. All these cases res
| on the Sherman antitrust law, Wnlch
| the learned judge says is unnecessary.
| If in the opinion of the Democratic
candidate the common law is sufficient,
| then we need not expect the Demo-
| cratic party to make good the promise
| contained in its platform. That was
| for purposes of the campaign only.
NO President can be better than his
| party" said the permanent chairman
of the convention, and he might have
| ~ ~ no wiser
| than it's President"
There is similar disagreement be
tween the Democratic party and its
candidHt" On the Philippine question.
The Democratic platform, looking only
for issues 10 be used in the campaign,
said:
I'VE insist that We ought to do for
the F'ilipinos what we have already
done for TIL" cubanS, set the
Filipino people upon their feet, free
and independent, to work out their own
destiny"
In his speech Of acceptance, the
Democratic candidate says:
The accident of war brought the
Philippines into our possession. and
we are not at liberty to disregard the
responsibility which thus came TO us
I do not know at whose instance this
announcement Of a responsibility was
inserted. If it was on the advice Of the
great New York City dailies. he should
have put it in his telegram. Possibly
he had been reading President Nc
Knley's speech of acceptance four
years ago, and had taken judicial
notice that the people had approved
those patriotic utterances.
"We will fulfill in the Philippines >
said Mr.. Mckinley, 1.-The obligations
imposed by the triumph of our arms
and by the treaty Of peace. by inter-
national law, by the nations sense of
honor, and more than all by the rights,
interests, and conditions of the Philip
pine people Themselves
| Having observed the approval of the
policy announced by President Nc
kinney and adhered to by President
Roosevelt, the candidate takes issue
with his party and approves the
wisdom of his rival. This he does in
his spe ech of acceptance which is just
as binding and quite as dignified as a
telegram.
But since mo President can be better
thar his party" Democratic success
would put the Philippine people in a
most unfortunate condition The
Democratic party would not carry out
the wishes of the President, and the
President would not carry out the pro-
misses Of his party, and no consistent
policy could be pursued without the
hearty cooperation Of both.
Judge Parker. if elected. would be in
Il sorry plight trying to get consistent
legislation at the hands Of a diScordant
party, out of harmony with each other
and out Of harmony with himself. Not
until the Democratic party unit" upon
some economic policy. or some financial
policy, or some insular policy. or some
| trade expansion policy, for purpos g
other than campaign use, will it BE-
wise to elect a Democratic candidate
however good. or upright, or learned
such candidate may be.
Note another difference between
party platform and speech of candi-
date. The Democratic national plat
:. form demands Il thorough Legislative
investigation Of executive departments.
nut the nominee upon this PLATFORM in
. his speech of acceptance quotes