The semi-weekly messenger., 1904-08-12

III the pene1 that the demand OF the
people for reform Of the tariff is just,
that / indulge the hope that should
Democratic House of Representatives
and a Democratic executive be chosen
by the people. even a Republican Senate
may heed the warning and consent TO
give at least some measure OF relief to
the people.
The combinations popularity called
trusts, which aim to secure a monopoly
OF trade in the necessaries of life as
well as in those things that are employ
ed upon the farm, in the factory and in
many other fields OF industry have
been encouraged and stimulated by ex>
eessive tariff duties. These operate to
furnish a substantial market in the ne
cessities Of eighty millions OF people
by practically excluding competition.
With 50 large a market and highly re-
munerative prices continuing long af-
ter the line of possible competition
would naturally be reached, the temp.
tation OF all engaged in the same bus
iness to combine so as to prevent conn
petition at home and a resulting re-
duction of prices. has proved irresisti-
BILE in a number of cases. All men must
agree that the net result of enacting
laws that foster such inequitable con-
ditions, is most unfortunate for the
people as a whole. and it would seem
as il all ought TO agree that the effec>
tive remedy would be to appropriately
modify the offending law. The growth
of monopoly. of which complaint is
justly made, cannot be laid at the doors
of the courts Of this country. The de-
cisions of the Supreme court of the
United states, the Court of Appeals
OF this State and the courts of last re-
sort in many other States, warrant the
assertion that the common law as de-
veloped affords a complete legal remedy
against monOpolies. The fact that they
have multiplied in number and increas-
ed in power has been due. not to the
failure of the courts to apply the law
when properly moved by administrative
officials or private individuals, but to
the failure of officials charged with the
duty of enforcing the law to take the
necessary procedure to procure the
judgments of the courts in the appro-
pirate jurisdiction, coupled with the
fact that the legislative departments,
Of some Of our State governments, as
we'll as Congress in the manner already
referred to, have, by legislation, en-.
couraged their propagation. What IL
needed-in addition to the passage of a
statute revising the tariff duties to a
reasonable basis-is not 80 much other
and different laws. as officials having
both the disposition and the courage
to enforce existing law. While this
is my view of the scope of the COM
mon law. if it should be made to appear
that it is a mistaken one. then l favor
such further legislation within consti-
tutional limitations as will give the
people a just and full measure of pro-
lection.
citizen of the United States, much less
a descendant of Revolutionary stock.
can tolerate the thought of perma-
Eently denying the right of self-gov-
ernment to the Filipinos. Can we hope
to instill into the minds of our descen-
dants reverence and devotion for a
government by the people, while deny
ing ultimately that right to the inhabi-
tants of distant countries, whose terri
tory we have acquired either by pur-
chase or by force? Can we say to the
Filipinos, Your lives, your liberty and
your property may be taken from you
without due process of law for all
time," and expect we will long glory in
that feature of Magma Charta, which
has become incorporated, in substance
and effect. into the Constitution of
every State, as we'll as into the Four
teenth Amendment to the Constitu-
ton of the United States? Can We
hope for the respect Of the civilized
world. while proudly guaranteeing to
every citizen of the United States that
no law shall be made or enforced which
shall abridge the privileges or immu-
mites of citizens of the United States,
or deny to any person the equal pro-
lection of the laws, and at the same
tims not only deny similar rights to the
inhabitants of the Philippines, but take
away from them the right of trial by
fury, and place their lives and the dis
nf in he
ing of those whom we send to them to
DE their governors? We shall certainly
rue~it as a nation if we make any such
attempt. viewing the question even
from the standpoint of national selfish
ness, there is no prospect that the
twenty millions CT dollars expended in
the purchase of the islands and the six
hundred and fifty millions said to have
been since disbursed will ever come
back to us. The accident of war
brought the philippines into our possess
sion and we are not at liberty to disre-
gard the responsibility which thus came
to us, but that responsibility will be
best subserved by preparing the Islands
as rapidly as possible for self-gOvern-
ment and giving to them the assurances
that it will come as soon as they are
reasonably prepared for it. There need
be no fear that the assertion so often
N1aQe Oh ldIe, IIldI We IIdSe iio" OcCOuiS
world power, will then be without
support. Ours is a world power, and
as such it must be maintained. but
deny that it is at all recently that the
United States has attained that emf
nence. Our country became world
power over a century ago, when, having
thrown off foreign domination, the
people established a free government,
the source Of whose authority sprung,
and was continuously to proceed, from
the will Of the people themselves. 1t
grew as a world power as its sturdy
citizens, to whose natural increase were
added immigrants from the old world
seeking to obtain here the liberty and
prosperity denied them in their own
countries, spread over the face of the
land, reduced the prairies and forests
to cultivation, built cities, constructed
highways and railroads, till now a ma
ton which at the formation of the
government numbered only three mi:-
lions in population, has become eighty
millions and from ocean to ocean and