The National tribune., 1904-07-14


no Government has q right to make one
set of laws for those "at h0me," and an
other and a different set of laws, absolute
in their character, for those lin the colo
nies." All men under the American flag
are entitled to the protection Of the insti
are inherently unfit for those institutions
then they are inherently unfit to be men,
bers of the American body polite. Wher-
ever there may exist a people incapable
of being governed under American laws,
in consonance with the American Consti-
tuition, that people ought not to be part
of the American domain.
We insist that we ought to do for the
Filipinos what We have done already for
the Cubans, and it is our duty to make
that promise now and upon suitable guar
antees 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 indepen-
dent to work out their own destiny.
The endeavor of the Secretary of War.
by pledging the Governments indorse
ment for promoters in the Philippine
Islands to make the United States part
ner in the speculative legislation of the
archipelago, which was only temporarily
held up by the opposition of the Demo
cratic Senators in the last session, will, if
successful, lead to entanglements from
which it will be difficult to escape.
4. The Democratic party has been, and
will continue to be, the consistent op-
ton by which certain interests have been
permitted, through Congressional favor,
to draw heavy tribute from the A'aeri-
can people. This monstrous perN, ~'on
OF those equal opportunities whic,t o,:r
political institutions were established to
secure has caused what may once have
been infant industries to become the
greatest combinations of capital that the
world has ever known. These especial
favorites of the Government have, through
trust methods, been converted into mon
opolies. thus bringing to an end domestic
competition, which was the only alleged
check upon the extravagant profits made
possible by the protective system. These
industrial combination Shy the financial
assistance they can give, now control the
policy of the Republican party.
We denOunce protection as a robbery
of the many to enrich the few, and we
favor a tariff limited to the needs of the
Government. economically administered.
and SO levied as not to discriminate
against any industry, class, or section,
to the end that the burdens Of taxatio
shall be distributed as equally as possi
BILE.
We favor a revision and gradual re-
duction of the tariff by the friends of
the masses and for the common veal, and
tortions, and its determinations, keeping
in view the ultimate ends of Equality
of burdens and equality of opportunities"
and the constitutional purpose Of rails
ing a revenue by taxation. to wit, 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 cap
ital to secure more than its just share of
the joint products Of capital and labor,
and which have been fostered and pro-
NOTED under Republican rule, are men
ace to beneficial competition and an OBJ
stacle to permanent business prosperity.
A private monopoly is indefensible and
intOlerable.
Individual equality of opportunity and
free competition are essential to q healthy
and permanent commercial prosperity and
any trust, combination, or monopoly tend
ing to destroy these by controlling pro-
duction. restricting competition, or fixing
prices, should be prohibited and punished
by law. We especially denounce rebates
and discrimination by transportation COM
panies as the most potent agency in pro-
noting and strengthening these unlawful
conspirae eies against trade.
We demand an enlargement of the
powers of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, to the end that the travelling
public and shippers of this country may
have prompt and adequate relief from the
abuses to which they are subjected in the
matter of transportation. We demand
strict enforcement of existing civil and
criminal statutes against all such trusts,
combinations, and monopOlies; and we de-
mand the enactment of such further legis-
lation as may be necessary to effectually
suppress them.
Any trust or unlawful combination en-
gagged in interstate commerce which is
monopolizing any branch of business or
production should not be permitted to
transact business outside of the State of
its origin. Whenever it shall be estab-
lished in any court of competent jurisdic-
ton that such monopolization exists, such
prohibition should be enforced through
comprehensive laws to be enacted on the
subject.
RECLAMATION OF ARID LANDS AND DOMESTIC
DEVELOPMENT
We congratulate our Western citizens
upon the passing of the law known as
the new lands irrigation act for the irri-
cation and reclamation Of the arid lands
OF the West; a measure framed by
Democrat, passed in the Senate by a non
partisan vote, and passed in the House
against the opposition of almost all the
Republican leaders by vote the ma
JorIty OF which was Democratic.
We call attention to this great Demo-
cratic measure, broad and comprehensive
as it is, working automatically through
out all time without further action of
Congress, until the reclamation is accom-
plshed, reserving the lands reclaimed for
homeseekers insmall tracts, and rigidly
guarding against land monopoly, as an
evidence of the policy of domestic develop
ment contemplated by the Democratic
party, should it be placed in power.
ISTHMIAN CANAL.
The Democracy, when intrusted with
power, will construct the Panama Canal
speedily, honestly, and economically.
thereby giving to our people what Demo
Gratis have always cOntended fora great
inter-oceanic canal, furnishing shorter
and cheaper lines of transportation. and
broader and less trammeled trade reIa-
tions with the other peoples of the world.
AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP.
We pledge ourselves to insist upon the
just and lawful protection of our citizens
at home and abroad, and to use all proper
measures to secure for them, whether
native born or naturalized, and without
distinction of race or creed, the equal
protection of laws and the enjoyment of
all rights and privileges open to them
under the covenants of our treaties of
friendship and commerce; and, if under
existing treaties tho ripbt RI troyoI ona