The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1904-07-13

the Filipinos what we have done al
ready for the Cubans, and it is our
duty to make that promise now, and
upon suitable guarantees OF protec'
tion to citizens Of our own and other
countries resident there at the time
of our withdrawal. set the Filipino
people upon their feet, free and in
dependent to work out their own
destiny.
The endeavor of the secretary of
war, by pledeing the governments
endorsement for "promoters' in the
Philippine Islands to make the
United States partner in the spec
ulative legislation of the archipelago,
which was only temporarily held up
by the opposition Of the Democratic
senators, in the last session, will, If
successful, lead to entsnglements
from which it will be difficult to es-
cape.
The Democratic party has been,
and will continue to be, the consist
ent opponent of that class of tariff
legislation by which certain interests
have been permitted, through con-
eressional favor, to draw a heavy
tribute from the American people.
This monstrous perversion of those
equal opportunities which our polit.
ical institutions were established to
secure, has caused what once may
have been infant industries to be.
come the greatest combinations OF
capital that the world has ever
known. These especial favorites OF
the government have, through trust
methods, been converted into monop-
oliee, thus bringing to an end do
mestic competition, which was the
only alleged check upon the extra
VACANT profits made possible by the
protective system. Those industrial
combinations, by the financial assist
ance they can give, now control the
policy of the Republican party.
We denounce protection as rob-
berry of the many to enrich the few,
and we favor a tariff limited to the
needs of the government, economi-
CALI administered and so levied as
not to discriminate against any in
dustry, class or section, and to the
end that the burdens of taxation shall
be distributed as equally as possible.
We favor revision and gradual
reduction Of the tariff by the friends
of it's abuses, it's extortions and it's
determinations, keeping in view the
ultimate ends of "equality of bur
dens and equality of opportunities"
and the constitutional purpose of
raising a revenue of taxation, to wit:
the support of the federal govern
ment in ali it's integrity and vlrllity,
but in simplicity.
TRUSTS AND UNLAWFUL COMBINATIONS
We recognize that the, gigantic
trusts and combinations designed to
enable capital to secure more than
it's just share in the joint products
of capital and labor, and which have
been fostered and promoted under
Republican rule, are a menace to
beneficial competition and an obstacle
to permanent business prosperity.
A private monopoly is indefenslble
and iDtolerable.
Individual equality of opportunity
and free competition are essential to
a healthy and commercial prosperity
and any trust, combination or mo-
nopoly tending to destroy these by
controlling production, restricting
competition or fixing prices, should
be prohibited and punished by law.
We especially denounce rebates and
discrimination by transportation
companies as the most potent agency
in promoting and strengthening
these unlawful conspiracies against
trade.
We demand an enlargement of the
powers of the interstate commerce
commission, to the end tnat the
travelling public and shippers OF this
country may have prompt and ad-
equate relief from the abuses to
which they are subjected in the
matter of transportation. We de-
mand a strict enforcement Of existing
civil and criminal statutes against all
such trusts, combinations and monop-
olies: and we demand the enactment
of such further legislation as may be
necessary to effectually suppress
them.
Any trust or unlawful combination
engaged in interstate commerce
which is monopolizing any branch OF
business or production, should not be
permitted to transact business out
side of the State of it's origin. When
ever it shall be established in any
court of competent Jurisdiction that
such monopolization exists, such pro-
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