Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-09-06


permitted us to present a united front
on present issues. The unlocked for
and unprecedented increase in the pro-
duction of gold had brought a victory
to both the advocates of gold and the
advocates of bi-metallism-the former
keeping the gold standard which they
wanted and the latter securing the
larger volume of money for which they
commended.
We who favor bimetallism are satisfied
with our victory IL the friends of mono
metallism are satisfied with theirs, and
we can invite them to a contest of zeal
and endurance in the effort to restore to
the people the rights which have been
gradually taken from them by the trusts.
The Investigations which have been in
progress during the past year have dis
closed the business methods of those
who a few years ago resented any inspec-
ton of their schemes and hid their rascal
ity under high sounding phrases. Those
Investigations have also disclosed the
source of the enormous campaign funds
which have been used to debauch election
and corrupt the ballot.
Tho people see now what they should
have seen before, namely, that no party
can exterminate the trusts SO long as it
owes It's political success to campaign
contributions secured from the trusts. The
great corporations do not contribute their
money to any party except for immunity
expressly promised or clearly implied.
The President has recommended legisla-
ton on this subject but so far his party
has failed to respond.
TRUSTS PARAMOUNT ISSUE.
While men may differ as to the rela-
tive Importance of issues, and while the
next Congress will largely shape the lines
upon which the coming presidential cam
paign will be fought, l think it is safe
to say that at present the paramount
issue in the minds of a large majority
of the people is the trust issue. l con-
graduate President Roosevelt upon the
steps which he has taken to enforce the
antitrust law and my qualification is not
lessened by the fact that he has followed
the democratic rather than tho republic
can platform in every advance he has
made.
There must be no mistaltinE Of the is-
sue and no confusing of the line of bat
tie. The trust, as an institution, will have
few open defenders. The policy Of the
trust magnates will be to Insist upon
reasonable legislation" and then they
will rely upon their power to corrupt
legislatures and intimidate executives to
prevent the application of any remedies
which will interfere with the trusts. Our
motto must re: "A private monopoly is
indefensible ard intolerable.' and our
plan of attack must contemplate the
total and complete overthrow of the
monopoly principle in industry.
We need not. quarrel over remedies.
We must show ourselves willing to
support any remedy which promises
Substantial advantage to the people in
their warfare against monopoly. What
is n fine of a thousand dollars, or even
ten thousand dollars to n trust which
makes a undred thousand dollars
while .he trial is In progress? If the
criminal clause is not going to be en-
forced it ought to be repealed.
If imprisonment is too severe a pun-
ishment for the eminently respectable
gentlemen who rob eighty millions OF
people of hundreds OF millions of dol
lars annually the language Of the stat
ute ought to he changed. for nothing
: more calculated to breed anarchy
than the failure to enforce the law
against rich criminals while it is rig
ldly enforced against petty offenders.
A CAUSE OF CROOKEDNEss.
Recent Investigations have brought to
light the fact that nearly all the crooked
ness revealed In the management of our
large corporations has been due to the
duplication OF directoratcs. A group of
men organized. or obtained control of,
several corporations doing business with
bach other and then proceeded to swindle
he stockholders Of the various corpora
ions for which they acted, No man can
serve two masters and the director who
attempts TO do so will fail, no matter
how much money he makes before his
FAILURE Is discovered.
Many of the trusts control prices by the
same methods. the same group of men
secure the control of several competing
Preparations and the management Is thus
consolidated. It is worth while to con-
tider whether a blow may not be struck
Ft the trusts by a law making il illegal
Tor the same person to act as director or
bficer OF two corporations which deal
with each other or are engaged in the
same general business.
The tariff question is very closely allied
20 the trust question and the reduction
pr the tariff furnishes an easy means of
Uniting the tXtortion which the trusts
ban practice. While absolute free trade
would not necessarily make Il trust i'm
possible still 1t Is probable that very few
manufacturing establishments would dare
20 enter into a trust If the President
we're empowered to put upon the free list
~lrticles competing with those controlled
by a trust.
BEST TIME FOR TARIFF REFORM.
There never was a time when tariff re-
orm could be more easiiy entered upon,
for the manufacturer by selling abroad
cheaper than at home, as many of them
70, have not only shown their ingratitude
coward those who built the tariff wall for
chem, but they have demonstrated their
ability to sell in competition with the
world. The high tariff has long been a
burden to the consumer in the United
States, and It is growing more and more
menace to our foreign mme because
I arouses resentment and provokes re-
~aliation.
The railroad question Is also inter-
woven with the trust que stion. Nearly
Pill the private monopolies have received
rebates or secured other advantages over
competitors. Absolute equality of treat
nent at the hands of the railroads would
30 far toward gripping the trusts, and I