The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1904-09-14

VI thOSt ItSpOllSiDlt lOl NhNl NhhNi-
mcnt and administration which must
be fixed and Interchangeable. 1t is idle
to say that the monetary standard Of
tho nation Is lrrevocably fixed so long
as the party which at the last election
cast approximately 4G per cent of the
total vote refuses to put in its plat
form any statement that the question
is settled. A determination to remain
silent cannot be accepted as equivalent
to recantatlon.
AS for what our opponents say In
reference to capital and labor, individ-
ual or corporate. here again all we
need by way Of answer is to point to
what we have actually done and to say
that II continued in power we shall
continue to carry out the policy we
have been pursuing and to execute the
laws as resolutely and fearlessly in the
future as we have executed them in
the past
The Trusts.
The action of the attorney general In
the antitrust and interstate
commerce laws and the action of the
last congress In enlarging the scope of
the interstate commerce law and in
creating the department Of commerce
and labor, with a bureau of corpora
tions, have for the first time opened
chance for the national government to
deal intelligently and adequately with
the questions affecting society, wheth-
er for good or for evil, because Of the
accumulation of capital in great corpo-
ratiOns and because Of the new rela-
tlons caused thereby. These laws are
now being administered with entire eff
fciency, and as In their working need
Is shown for amendment or addition to
them, whether better to secure the
proper publicity or better to guarantee
the rights Of shippers or in any other
this need will be met.
1t is now asserted that the common
law as developed affords complete
legal remedy against mOnopolles." But
there is no common law of the United
States. Its rules can be enforced only
by the state courts and officers. No
federal court or officer could take any
action whatever under them. 1t was
this fact, coupled with the Inability of
the states to control trusts and monop-
Olies, which led to the passage Of the
federal statutes known as the Sher-
man antitrust act and the Interstate
commerce net, and it Is only through
the exercise of the powers conferred by
these acts and by the statutes of the
last congress supplementing them that
the national government acquires any
Jurisdiction over the subject. To say
that action against trusts and monOpo-
lies should be limited to the applica-
ton of the common law is equivalent
to saying that the national government
should take no action whatever to reg.
ulate them.
Undoubtedly the multiplication of
trusts and their increase in power have
been largely due to the failure of ofti-
cials charged with the duty Of enforc-
ing the law to take the necessary pro
cedure." Such structure upon the fall
ure of the officials of the national gov
ernment to do their duty In this mat.
ter is certainly not wholly undeserved
MS far as the administration preceding
President McKlnley's is concerned, but
1t has no application at all to Repub-
lican administration. 1t Is also un-
Soubtedly true that what is most need
ed is "otiicials having both the dlspo-
sition and the courage to enforce exist
Ing law" This is precisely the need
that has been met by the consistent
and steadily continued action of the
department Of justice under the pres
ent administration.
Capital and Labor.
SO far as the rights of the individual
wage worker ana the individual capl-
taliSt are concerned, both as regards
one another. as regards the public and
ns regards organized capital and In
bor the position of the administration
has been so clear that there Is no eN-
cuse for misrepresenting it and no
ground for opposing 1t unless misrcp'
resented Within the limits defined 10y
the national constitution the national
administration has sought to secure tC
each man the full enjoyment Of his
right to live his life and dispose of his
property and his labor as he deems
best so long as he wrongs no one else.
1t has shown in effective fashion that
In endeavoring to make good this guar
nntee it treats all men, rich or poor
whatever their creed, their color or
their birthplace, as standing alike be
fore the law.
Under our form of government the
sphere in which the nation as distln
gushed from the state can act Is mar
rowly clrcumscribed, but within tha
sphere all that could be done has beer
done. All thinking men are aware OF
the restriction upon the power of ac
ton of the national government IL
such matters Being ourselves mind
full of them, we have been scrupulousl!
careful on the one hand to be mod
crate in our promises and on the othel
hand to keep these promises In lettel
and In spirit. Our opponents have
been hampered by no such consldera
tlons. They have promised and man!
Of them now promise action whicl
they could by no possibility take in th'
exercise of constitutional power anC
which If attempted would bring bust
ness to n standstill. They have uset
and often now use language Of wilt
invcctive and appeal TO all the base
passions which tend to excite one Sc
Of Americans against their fellow
Americans, and yet whenever the.
have had power they have littingl.
supplemented this extravaganza o
nromiSp nv absolute nullity in DCr