The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-09-16

Il AONtt iAuGuS. taHG POSSNSSiOu ot lhS wal
fieids, yet they now condemn the action
by the president that prevented the n:c"s-
nent for national ownership from gaining
what might well have been an irresistible
impetus. n
position that silence is the best way 10
their lukesiarm. partial acauiescence In
what others have accomplished entities
them to be made the custodians of the
which they recently sought TO ruin. Be
ing unable to agree whether the gold
STANDARD is q curse or a blessing, they
seems to be that it is now ineNpedient TO
assert their convictions, and that the gold
standard should not be disturbed unless
there is an alteration in the relative pro-
duction of silver and gold. 1t Is difficult
to respect such an attitude of mind.
The Gold Standard.
We believe in the gold standard as fixed
by the usage and verdict of the business
world, and in a sound monetary system as
matters of principle, of organic poll,
cy. Congress established the gold standard
as the Measure of monetary value. The
record proves that the party can be trust
TO improve and strengthen our monetary
system, ard that our opponents cannot be
trusted. 1t is idle to say the monetary
standard is irrevocably fixed so long as
the party which at the last election cast
approximately 46 per cent. of the total
vote, refuses to put in its platform any
tiiatt III 4QGSlloI 10 sCIltCtA. =
determination to remain silent cannot be
accepted as equivalent to a recantation.
AS for capital and labor, individual or
corporate, all we need is to point to what
we have actually done. and to say we shall
continue to carry out the same policy. In
my speech of acceptance said:
w recognize organization of capital
and labor as natural outcomes of our in
dustrial s.rstem. Each kind is to be fav-
ored SO long as it acts in regard for
others. Each is to be held to obedience to
the law. The humblest individual is to
have his rights ~safeguarded as scrupu-
lously as those of the strongest organi-
more and no less. The problems with
which we have to deal in our modern
Industrial and social life are manifold; but
the spirit in which it is necessary to APP
proach their solution is simply the spirit
of honesty, courage ond common sense"
The action of the encouragement in
commerce laws. and Of congress in en-
larging the scope of the interstate law,
creating the department. of commerce and
labor, have opened a chance for the ma
with the questions of corporations. and
the new relations caused thereby. These
need is shown for amendment this need
will be met. 1t is now asserted that the
common law, as developed. affords a COM
plete legal remedy against m%onopolies."
But there is no common law of the United
States. It's rules can be enforced only by
the state courts and officers. Ne federal
l court OF OIIlCGTH COulu take any aCtloH
whatever under them. This fact, coupled
with the inability of the states to control
monopolies, led to the Sherman antitrust
act and the interstate act; and
1t is only through the powers conferred by
these acts, and by the statutes supple
menting them, that the national govern
subject. To say that action against mon
opolies should be limited to the common
law is equivalent to saying the national
government should take no action.
Cleveland and the Trusts.
Undoubtedly the multiplication of trusts
to the failure of officials to take the
necessary procedure" Such structure not
undeseryed as to the administration pre-
true that what is most needed is Officials
having both the disposition and the cour-
to enforce existing law" This need
has been met by action of the department
ton.
The demand of our opponents that ne
gotiations be begun to secure equal treat
ment of all Americans from those gov
ernn1cnts which do not now accord 1t,
shows ether ignorance or insinserity: No
to what has been done and is doing.
This administration has on all proper oc-
%casions given clear expression to the be-
elimination and oppression because of re-
lig.on, wherever practiced, are acts of
injustice before God and man; and In
Il 1iitih S1lCli " Lie WOIld Liz tpti
of American convictions in this regard we
have gone TO the very limit of diplomatic
usage.
1t is evidence Of our opponents insin-
certty in this matter hat with their de-
mand for radical action by the state de-
partment they couple a demand for re-
ment. The heed paid to our protests
against ill-treatment Of our citizens will
be proportionate to our ability to make
these protests effective.
Our opponents declared themselves in
favor of the civil service law, the repeal
Of which they demanded in 1900 and in
graduated the country upon the a the
civil service law Is administered and the
classified service has been extended. The
than ever. The merit system was of
course most needed in the Philippines, and
a law of adyance type has been put into
operation.
When we take up the tariff we are at
once confronted by doubt whether our OPP
ponents do or do not mean what they say.
They say that protection is robbery"
hat they do not mean this n that if
they come into power they will adopt our
seem anxious to prove that it is safe to
give them partial power, because the pow
er would be only partial. and therefore
they would not be able to do mischief;
party seeking control Of the government.
Views on the Tariff.
At Minneapolis, April 4, 1909, I said:
The question Of tariff revision, speak
ing broadly, stands wholly apart from the
question of dealing with the trusts. No
change in tariff duties can have any sub
s~tant.al 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 nave as a matter Of fact
numbers of smaller American competitors;
and of course a change in the tariff which
would work injury to the large corpor-
alton would work not merely Injury but
destruction to Its smaller competitors; and
equally of course such d change would
mean disaster to all the wage-workers
connected with either the large or the
small corporations. From the standpoint
of those interested in the solution Of the
trust problem such a change would there
fore merely meah that the trust was re-
lieved OF the competition of its weaker
American competitors. and thrown only
into competition with foreign competitors:
and that the first effort to meet this new
competition would be by cutting down
wages, and would therefore be primarily
at the cost of abor. In the case of some
of our greatest trusts such a change might
confer upon them a positive benefit.
Speaking broadly. it ia evident that the
changes in the tariff will affect the trusts
for veal or for woe simply as they affect
the whole country. The tariff affects trusts
only as 1t affects all other interests. 1t
makes all these interests, large or small,
p~rofitable; and its benefits can be taken