Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-07-14

most conspicuous corporation attorneys
in the country. The platform not only
fails to promise any specific remedy,
not only declares the party content with
the little done by the administration, but
complacently classes the trusts with the
labor organizations. 1t says: "Combina-
tions Of capital and of labor are the re.
suit of the economic movement OF the
age" This is defense of the trusts
not condemnation. Then the platform
adds: But neither must be permitted
to infringe upon the rights and interests
of the people," Here again the laboring
man is used as a companion piece for the
trust "Such combinations" continues
the platform, "when lawfully formed for
lawful purposes are alike entitled to the
protection OF the laws, but both are SUBJ
ject to the laws, and neitl er can be per.
mitted to break them" As the trusts
are now breaking the laws with impunl-
ty, this must be intended as a warning
to laboring men only. The trusts are
holding the laboring men between them
selves and the ile o; public opinion. As
a declaration against trusts the platform
is hollow mockery-one must be anx-
ious to deceive himself if he accepts the
republican platform as Offering any hope
of relief from trust exactions.
On the great question of imperialism
the republican party announces no policy
and gives no pledge. 1t refers to the
subject and declares that the republican
party has esta blshed order in the Philip
pines, given security to life and property
and "conferrei upon the people of those
islands the largest civil liberty they
have ever enjoyed" What a proud
boast |! They were subjects of king and
were ruled by arbitrary authority and
they are bet err off under our rule than
under Spanish rule Is this all they are
to hope for? Then. too, "civil liberty"
has been conferred" upon them! What
a departure from the doctrines of Jeffer-
| son and Lincoln! Instead of being a
great republic holding before the world
the light Of self.government we have
shrunken to the stature of benevolent
despot doling out liberty in broken doses
to inferior races" assuring them mean.
while that our medicine is more pleasant
| to take than the medicine which they
| formerly received at the hands of kings
The platform contains plank threat
ening reprisals on the south if black
Suffrage is interfered with, but contains
not word about the right of the brown
men to suffrage and voice in their own
government.
Why does the republican party run
from the Issue OF imperialism? 1t is
conscious that its policy violates funda-
mental principles, and yet for CONNER
cial reasons it is unwilling TO return tc
constitutional methods.
1t is not truthful platform-as has
been shown-neither is it courageous
platform. The republicans assembled in
national convention cast admiring
glances at the past, but conte mplated
the future with doubt and misgi wing
The republican party is afraid of the
trust question: it is afraid of the ques-
ton OF imperialism, and it is afraid of
the labor question. Only on the tariff
is it bold. On this question it goes far
Their than any other republican conven-
ton has ever gone. A former convention
favored tariff equal to the difference
between the cost OF production here and
abroa !, but this convention makes that
the minimum, while no maximum is
suggested.