The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-04-29

support the platform can deny. that any
criticism was intended II they find that
such criticism is unpopular.
I'VE must keep inviolate the pledges
Of our treaties; we must renew and re-
invigorate within ourselves that re-
spect for law and that love of liberty
and OF peace which the spirit of mill
tary domination tends inevitably to
weaken and destroy. Second Plank
New York Platform.
This is probably intended as a re-
buke to the president for his action in
the Panama matter, but this, too, is so
Indefinite that the supporters of the
platform can repudiate any such inten-
tion IL 1t ever becomes convenient to
do So
Unsteady national politics and a
restless spirit of adventure engender
alarms that check our commercial
growth; let us have peace, to the end
that business confidence may be re-
stored and that our people may again
in tranquility enjoy the gains of their
toil."-Third Plank New York Plat
form.
This, possibly, is intended as a crit
icism of the rashness of the president
and Of his emotional temperament and
yet 1t Is so impersonal that those who
support the platform can very plaus-
IDLY insist that it has no particular ref
erence to any person, but Is intended
as very board statement of a very
general principle
Corporations chartered by the state
must be subject to just regulation by
the state in the interest OF the people;
taxation for public purposes only; no
government partnership with protected
monopolies. Fourth Plan New York
Platform.
This plank might find welcome
place in any platform. 1t would be
difficult to conceive of a party lat
would object to lust regulations by the
state in the interest Of the people" nor
is there any party that is likely to de-
fend taxation for any other than a
public purpose.
Even the Republican party has
never classed itself in favor of gov
ernment partnership with protected
monopolies.'
The plank, therefore, has no mean
ing at oil as it stands. unless there Is
secret suggestion that the regulation
of corporations must be left entirely to
the states.
Tbfc ic tho hot L. tnr, 4,
the trust magnates. Whenever con-
gress attempts to interfere with trust
the friends Of the trust at once insist
that the state must do the regulating
that is the position taken by the dis
senting members of the supreme court
in the merger case, and II this plank
means anything it is an Endorsement of
the decision of the majority.
The fact that the platform is silent
about the merger decision lends color
to this construction.
Opposition to trusts and combina-
tions that oppress the people and stifie
healthy industrial competition."--
Fifth Plank New York Platform.
This is the antitrust plank of the
platform! At least 1t is the only plank
in which the trust is mentioned by
name. The plank contains fourteen
words. and 1t will be noted that the op-
position is not to all monopolies, or
even to all trusts, but simply to those
that "oppress the people and stife
healthy competition"
That is the position taken by Judge
Brewer In his separate opinion. He
contends that the Sherman law was
not intended to prevent all restraint of
trade, but only unreasonable re-
straint," and SO Mr.. Hill and the other
New York friends of Judge Parker so
have worded their trust plank as to
make their meaning uncertain. They
have SO worded the plank as to pre-
sent the trust view OF the question,
rather than the view entertained by
the pople at large.
In order to excite the opposition of
the friends Of Judge Parker the trust
must be shown to be Oppressive"
1t must be shown that it is not only
sitting Industrial competition, but that
1t is stifiing healthy industrial COM
petition"
The trust magnates claim that the
object of the trust is to stifie unhealthy
industrial competition and to promote
a healthy industrial competition"
The qualifying words used in this
very brief and ambiguous plank de-
stroy whatever vitality it might have
had without them. The Kansas City
platform declared a private monopoly
to be indefensible and intolerable. 1t
not only arraigned private monopoly
as an unmitigated evil, but 1t pointed
out specific remedies for the destruc-
ton Of this evil. Compare the Kansas
City platform with the cowardly and
antitrust-or rather trust
plank of the New York platform, and
you will understand why Mr.. Hill and
Iudpe parkap ara on afraid nf tho