Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1904-09-22

and upon which we have acted and are
acting in the matter OF a sound cur
rency, the only real way to keep the
question from becoming unsettled is to
keep the Republican party In power.
erence to capital and labor Individual
or corporate here again all we need by
way OF answer is TO point TO what we
have actually done. and to cay that II
carry out the policy we have been pur-
suing, and to execute the laws as reso-
lutely and fearlessly In the future as
we have executed them in the past.
The action of tho attorney -genesSl In
enforcing the antitrust and interstate
commerce laws and the action of the
last congress in eniarging the scope OF
the Interstate commerce law, and In
creating tho department of commerce
have for the first time opened a chance
, for the national government to deal In
telligently and adequately with the ques-
tons Affecting society, whether for good
OF capital in great corporations. and be-
cause OF the new relations caused there
by. The laws are now being administer
ed with entire efficiency; and as, in, their
working, need is shown for amendment
or addition TO them-whether better to
secure the proper publicity or better to
guarantee the rights of shippers. or In
any other drection-this need Will be
met. 1t Is now asserted that the COM
mon law, as developed, affords a COM
plete legal remedy against monopolies."
But there Is no common law of the Unit
ed States. It's rules can be enforced
only by the state courts and officers. No
federal court or officer could take any
action whatever under them II was this
fact, coupled with the inability of the
states to control trusts and monopoles,
which led to the passage of the federal
statutes known as the Sherman anti
trust act and the Interstate commerce
act; and 1t is only through the exercise
and by the statutes of the last congress
experimenting them. that the national
government acquires any jurisdiction
against trusts and monopoles should be
limited to the application of the common
law + equivalent to saying that the ma
tonal government should take no action
whatever to regulate them.
trusts, and their Increase in. power has
been largely due to the Failure OF OIL
cials charged with the duty of enforce
ing the law to take the necessary pro-
cedure." Such structure upon the failure
ment to do their duty In this matter is
certainly not wholly undeserved as far
as the administration preceding Presi-
dent Mckinleys is concerned but 1t has
no application at all to Republican ad-
ministration. 1t is also undoubtedly true
that what is most needed is Officials
age to enforce existing law" This is
precisely tho need that has been met
by the consistent and steadily continued
action of the department of justice un-
der the present administration.
So far as the rights of the individual
wage-worker and the individual capital
list are concerned, both as regards one
another, as regards the. public, and as
regards organized capital and labor, the
position of the administration has been
so clear that there is no excuse for mis-
representing It, and no ground for OPP
posing 1t unless misrepresented. Within
the limits defined by the national consti-
tuition the national nnb pn ON mas mas
enjoyment OF his right to live his life
and dispose of his property and his labor
as he deems best so long as he wrongs
fashion that in endeavoring to make good
this guarantee, 1t treats all men, rich or
or their birthplace as standing alike be-
fore the law. Under our form of gov
eminent the sphere in which the nation
as distinguished from the state can act
that sphere all that could be done has
been done. All thinking men are aware
of the restriction upon the power of ac-
ton of the national government in such
matters. Being, ourselves mindful OF
them, we have been scrupulously careful
or the one hand to be moderate in our
promises, and on the other hand to keep
these promises in letter and In spirit.
When we take up the great question of
the tariff We are at once confronted by
the doubt as to whether our opponents
do or do not mean what they say. They
say that protection is robbery" and
promise to carry themselves accordingly
IL
persons among them assert that they do
not really mean this and that II they
come into power they will adopt our
policy as regards the tariff; while. others
seem anxious to prove that 1t is safe
to give them partial power, because the
power would be only partial and there
fore they would not be able to DO mis-
chief The lasG is certainly a curious
plea to advance on behalf OF party
seeking to obtain control of the govern
A. the outset It is worth while 20 say
a word as to the attempt to identify the
question of tariff revision or tariff re-
ton. This is always sign OF Sesire
to avoid any real effort to deal ade-
quately with the trust question. In
speaking on this point at Minneapolis,
on April 4, 1903, I said:
THE question of tariff revision, speak
ing broadly, stands wholly apart from
Ma change in tariff duties can have any
substantial effect in solving the so-called
trust problem. Certain great trusts or
great corporations are wholly unaffected
by the tariff. Almost all the others that
are of any Importance have as a matter
OF fact numbers of smaller American
the tariff which would work injury TO
the largo corporation would work not
merely injury but destruction to It's
smaller competitors; and equally of
course such n change would mean disas-
ter to all tho wage-workers connected
with either the large or the small cor
Interested in the solution of the trust
problem such a change would therefore
merely mean that the trust was relieved
OF the competition OF its weaker Amer
lean competitors, and thrown only into
competition with foreign competitors.
and that the first effort to meet this new
competition would be made by cutting
down wages, and would therefore be pri-
marily at the cost Of labor. In the case
of some of our greatest trusts such
change might confer upon them posi-
tive benefit. Speaking broadly, 1t Is evil
dent that the changes in the tariff Will
affect the trust for veal or for woe sim
ply as they affect the whole country,
The tariff affects trusts only as 1t af-
fects all other interests. 1t makes all
these interests, large or small proht-
able: and its benefits can be taken from
the large only under penalty or taking
them from the small also"
There Is little for mo to add to this.
It is but ten years since the last attempt
was made, by means OF lowering the
tariff to prevent some people from pros
prring too much. The attempt was en-
tirely successful. The tariff law of that
wear was among the causes which In
that year and for some time afterwards
efToctually prevented anybody from pros
pering too much. and labor from pros
Dering at all Undoubtedly 1t would be
nrssiIln al the nreSent time to prevent