New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1904-05-07
CAN UNITE MASSES
Hearst Fights Trusts
For Plain People
Democrats Should Give Guarantee of
Sincerity by Nominating the Cham
piOn of the Peoples S Rights. Who Is
a Platform In Himself. Says For.
mer Governor of California.

idtiOiili III IlliilStii, odyS TUT
meT Governor of California.
by JAMES II. DUDD, Former Govern
or of California.
William Randolph Hearst should be
nominated for president of the United
States by the Democratic national con
yeution because he is the only candi-
date who typities opposition to Grim
inal Trusts and on whom the toiling
masses will unite.
William Randolph Hearst is the
ONLY ONE of the many good Demo
Gratis mentioned for the nomination
whose life work stands for opposition
to and a continuous fight against cor
porate eXactions and trust extortions,
and who has increasingly striven for
! tariff reform and to better the condi-
tion of the toiling masses. Others may
have fought nobly In some of these
| matters, but none can equal him in
| devotion to them all. and the ques
ton "Who is the greatest champion
of the peoples rights against trust
oapression" finds but one answer
H&rst.
And1f we are sincere as Democrats,
and platforms are not molasses with
which to catch flies, we should give a
guarantee of that sincerity by noml-
mating the man whose name on these
issues IS a tower Of strength. The
people believe in him, and they know
he would enforce the laws; they could
but hope this Of others. Mankind
judges by the Biblical rule, "By their
works ye shall know them," and OF
this mans works there can be no ques-
tion.
Whatever may be the fundamental
causes of criminal trusts, they have
come into existence under Republican
administrations, and they look to that
party for assistance and support in
return for open Golfers during hotly
contested elections.
The sister inlquity, the present I'M
equal and discriminating tariff, is in It
self q direct creation of the Repub
lican party and has been so scaled by
repeated legislation as to fatten favor
ed industries.
No better evidence could be had of
the close relations between the Grim
inal trusts and the Republican party
of today than that disclosed by the lat
ter's repeal of the punishment of i'm
prisonment for violation of the anti
trust laws When Hearst commenced
n
and before officials, violations of these
laws were punishable by imprison-
ment. He insisted that there should
be no distinction between big thieves |
and little thieves, but that all should |
be treated alike. And he could not be
bought or bullied or turned aside. The |
trust operators saw ahead the prison |
door ajar and Hearst as an avenger |
of the outraged law behind. Pursued |
by Hearst, the trusts fled to Rcpub- |
lican congress as to Il ''city of refuge" |
and they found haven, for that con |
gress passed, and the president of |
these United States signed, practical |
pardon for the past crimes and an i'm |
munity for the future offenders by re- |
pealing all provisions of law which i'm
posed Imprisonment as punishment for |
the criminal violation of certain anti |
trust legislation.
This was in effect licensing viola |
tions of law and fixing the license fee /
at such sum as might be imposed |
from time to time for conviction.
1t is absurd to urge that the men |
criminally guilty Of robbing the people |
would be deferred from so doing by I
comparatively small fine.
Protected from arrest by such re- |
peal, the coal operators when brought |
before the interstate commerce COM I
mission on the petition OF Hearst re- !
fused to comply with the orders of
that body, and the cause now drags in |
the courts, while Hearst is endeavoring |
to have the effective penalty restored |
by congress.
During the proceedings before this
one of the trust operators,
Baer of Pennsylvania, chief of them
all, was forced to admit when pressed
by Mr.. Shearn, Hearst's attorney, that
during a recent presidential election
the trusts which he represented had
been urged by the managers of the Re-
publican party to juggle their affairs
SO as to assist in electing a Republican
president, and they had done so.
On this answer wonder at the repeal |
Of punishment for their acts ceased.
The Republican party owed the trusts
this pardon and paid it's debt, and |
Hearst was temporarily checked. The |
fight by Mr.. Hearst against |
the coal and meat and other trusts and |
the vigor he has infused therein, cou-
pied with the fact that congress could |
be moved, but he could not, is one of
the strongest Endorsements of the man.
1t is a matter of history.
A hundredth part of the energy dis |
played by him would have enabled a
president to crush every criminal trust
IN the land
The persistence of Mr. Hearst in the
interest Of the plain people and his
many efforts in their behalf are too
well known to require recital in de-
tail. And his devotion is not of re-
rent or Of political growth, but is of
very long standing-so long, in fact,
that it commenced many years since
and without a break has continued. |
One may scan the files Of the San
Francisco Examiner from the day he
assumed control and there cannot be
found a single lapse from devotion to
and advocacy of the cause of the plain
people