Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1904-09-15

As Tor wna1 our opponents say in ref
erenee to capital and labor, individual or
corporate, here again all we need by way
Of answer 10 to point to what we have
actually done and to say that ff eontin-
ued In power we shall continue to carry
out the policy we have been pursuing and
to execute the laws as resoIutely and
fearlessly In the future as we have ex-
ecuted them In the past. In my speech
OF acceptance i said:
I'VE recognize the organization of cap
itai and the organization OF labor as nat
urai outcomes Of our Industrial system
Each kind Of organization Is to be favor
ed so long as It acts In a spirit of justice
and OF regard for the rights or others.
Each is to be granted the full protection
or the law. and each In turn is to be held
TO q strict obedience to the law, for no
man is above 1t and no man below IT.
The humblest individual is to have his
rights safeguarded as scrupulousiy ais
those OF the strongest organization, for
each ID to receive justice. no more and
. no less. The problems with which we
have TO deal I'm our modern Industrial
and social life are manifold, but the spirit
I in which 1t is necessary to approach their
solution is simply the spirit of honesty,
of courage and OF common sense"
The action of the attorney general In
enforcing 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 bureau or corporations, have for
the first time opened q chance for the
national government to deal intellIgently
and adequately with the questions affect
Ing society, whether for good or for evil.
because Of the accumulation Of cap
itaI in great corporations and because OF
the new relations caused thereby. These
laws are now being administered with
entire efficiency, and as, In their working,
need Is shown for amendment or addition
to whether better to secure the
proper publicity or better to guarantee
the rights of shippers or in any other di-
rection--this need will be met. 1t is now
asserted that the common law as devel-
oped affords complete legal remedy
against monopolies' But there is no
common law OF the United States. It's
rules can be enforced only by the state
courts and officers. No federal court or
officer could take any action whatever
under them. It was this fact. coupled
with the inability OF the states to con-
troll trusts and monopoiies which led to
the passage of the federal statutes known
as the Sherman antitrust act and the
interstate commerce act. and 1t is only
through the exercise OF the powers con-
ferred by these acts and by the statutes
OF the last congre rs experimenting them
that the national government acquires
any jurisdiction over the subject TO say
that action against trusts and monopolies
should be limited to the application of the
common law Is equivalent to saying that
the national government should take no
action whatever to regulate them.
Undoubtedly the multiplication OF trusts
and their increase in power have been
largely due TO the failure Of officials
charged with the duty of enforcing the
law to take the necessary procedure
Such structure upon the failure of the Of
flcials of the national government to do
their duty in this matter Is certainly not
wholly undeserved as far as the adminis-
tration preceding President McKinley's is
concerned. but 1t has no application at
all to Republican administration. 1t Is
also undoubtedly true that what Is most
needed Is Officials having both the dis
position and the courage to enforce exist
ing law" This Is precisely the need that
has been met by the consistent and stead
tly continued action of the department OF
justice under the present administration.
SO far as the rights of the individual
wageworker and the individual capitalist
are concerned. both as regards one anoth-
er. as regards the public and as regards
organized capital and labor, the position
Of the administration has been so clear
that there IL no excuse for misrepresent-
ing II and no ground for opposing 1t un-
less misrepresented. Within the limits
defined by the national constitution the
national administration has sought to Sc
cure to 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 en-
deavoring to make good this guarantee It
treats ell men, rich or poor. whatever
their creed, their color or their birth
place, as standing alike before the law
Under our form of government the sphere
In which the nation as distinguished from
the state can act II narrowly circum-
scribed, but within that sphere all that
could be done has been done. All think
ing men are aware OF the restriction upon
the power Of action OF the national gov
eminent In such matters. Being ourselves
mindful or them, we have been scrupu-
lousy careful on the one hand to be mod
crate In our promises and on the other
hand TO keep these promises In letter and
in spirit Our opponents have been ham,
pered by no such considerations They
have promised. and many OF them now
promise action which they could by no
possibility take In the exercise of consti-
tutionai power, and which, Ii attempted,
would bring business to q standstill They
have uaed and often now use language OF
wild tryectiye and appeal to all the baser
passions which tend TO excite one set OF
Americans against their fellow Ameri-
cana and yet whenever they have had
power they have fittingly supplemented
this extrmvagance OF promise by absolute
nnllity in performances.
This government Us based upon the
fundamental idea that each man. no mat
ter what hi8 occupation. his race or his
religious belief, IL entitled to be treated
on his worth as man and neither favor
"a nor Disseminated against because Of
any accident In his position Even here
ct home there is painful difficulty in the
effort 70 realize 6his ideal, and the at
tempt to secure from other nations ac-
acknowledgement Of &c sometimes encounters
obstacles that are well nigh insuperabie,
TOR there are many nations which In the
slow procession OF the ages have not yet
reached that poink where the principles
which Americans regard as automatic
obtain any recognition whatever. One of
the chief dsfHculties arises in connection
with certain American citizens OF foreign
birth or or particular creed who desire to
travel abroad. Russia, for instance, re-
fuses to admit and protect Jews. Turkey
refuses to admit and protect certain sects
or Christians This government has con-
sistently demanded equal protection
abroad FOR ill American citizens. whether
native or naturmlized. On March q, 1895.
Secretary Hay Denk letter Or instruc-
tons to ali the diplomatic and Consular
officers or the United States. in which he
said. This department does not discrim-
mate between native bora and naturaliz-
ed citizens In according them protection