Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-19
MIR. HEARsT's PLATFORM.
He Lays Stress Upon the Trusts and
the Tariff.


From the New York Herald.
A reporter for the Herald talked with W
R. Hearst yesterday for an hour on general
political questions. and especially upon
matters concerning himself and the i'm
pending democratic nomination for the
presidency. The sum of what was said
may be gathered into questions and an
swers as follows:
Mr.. Hearst, what do you conceive to be
the attitude of the more conservative class
sentative citizen look upon your nomination
for the presidency"
THAT depends upon what you mean by
conservative replied Mr.. Hearst. For
myself. should define conservatism as the
preservation of those rights, qualities and
principles of proved value to the American
people, / think that the fundamental ideas
which have developed this country, making
it's national wealth and greatness while
fostering the individual happiness and pros
perity of It's citizens, should be conserved.
II am conservative in the sense that
believe in the spirit and in the letter of the
United States Constitution, the Declaration
of independence and In the characters and
purposes of such men as Washington. JET
ferson. Jackson and Lincoln.
"But am in conflict with those so-called
conservatives that are reyerting to the
ideas of former centuries and Of other ma
lions. seeking to exploit the mass of the
people for their own profit. Such men are
reactionary. they are not conservative. 1
do not consider the steel trust conservative,
for instance
ION what issues, Mr.. Hearst. do you
think the next democratic campaign will
be Fought"
''The main issue of a party Of the people
is to attend to the main business before the
people. The universal tendency of the day
is toward Industrial combination and or
ganizatfon. The great issue of the day,
therefore is the regulation and control of
that tendency to organization-in other
words. the trust issue.
1.-THE growth of the new industrial SyS-
tenn on lines of wide combination cannot
and should not be checked. But it can be
kept within lines that will benefit the whole
community and entirely suppressed along
lines dangerous to the public welfare.
What Is your attitude in regard to the
tariff?
THE tariff is more important today than
ever. because of its vital influence upon the
trust question. Mr.. Hayemeyer of the SUI
gar trust enlightened the people when he
said the tariff is the mother OF the trusts
The tariff is certainly the foster mother of
the trusts, and it can be used to curb and
rule them.
.'The moral principle underlying a tariff
on importations consists In the willingness
OF the people to sacrifice their own interests
ior Inc iiie III oruer 10 promote an IN
dustry of which the full development will
benefit all. An industry fully developed
means labor well paid and increased ma
tional wealth. The tariff represents the
peoples willingness to make sacrifice to
give a start to industry, not their willing
ness to put themselves at the mercy of any
monopoly.
To-day we see industries that have de-
veloped under a tariff system, absolutely
Indifferent to the public welfare These
monopolistic industries, utterly devoid of
any patriotic interest In the nations well
fare. use the tariff to put the home con-
sumner at disadvantage compared with
foreigners. The steel trust for instance
sells for so ton In Canada the steel for
which 1t charges $2S at home"
Mr.. Hearst also discussed labor unions
and the money question, asserting that the
trusts bore upon each question.