Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1906-08-31
DEMOCRATIC MOSES ACCORDED
OVATION By FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS

qualification is not lessened by the fact
that he has followed the democrats
rather than the republican platform
i'm every advance he has made.
Even the enthusiastic support CIV
en- him by the democrats has enabled
the champions of the trusts to taunt
him with following democratic leader
ship. He has probably gone as far as
he could Without incurrlng the hostil-
ltS of the leaders of his own party
There must be no mistaking an IS
sue and no confusion of the line Of
battle The trust as an institution
will have few open defenders. Our
motto must be, "A private monopoly
Is indefensible and intolerable, And
our plan of attack must contemplate
the total and complete overthrow o:
the industry.
"A corporation differs from a hu-
man being in that 1t has no natural
rights, and as all of its rights are de-
rived from the statues. IL can be linn
tied or restrained according as the
public welfare may require. The con-
troll which congress has over interstate
commerce Is complete and II congress
can prevent the transportation of 4
lottery ticket through the mails by the
express companies or by freight, ii can
certainly forbid the use of the mails,
the railways and the telegraphs, to
any corporation which is endeavorihg
to monopolize an article of commerce,
and no party can long be credited
with sincerity If it condemns the
trusts with words only and then per-
mts trust to employ all the instru
mentalities of interstate commerce in
the carrying out of its nefarious
plans. 1t Is far easier to prevent Il
monopoly than to watch 1t and pun
ish it, and this prevention can be ac-
compished in practical way by re-
fuslng q license to any corporation
which controls more than a certain
proportion of total product--this pro-
portion to be arbitrarily fixed at
point which will give free operation to
competition.
Tie Tariff Question.
''The tariff question Is very closely
allied to the trust question and the re-
duction Of the tariff furnishes an easy
means of limiting the eXtortion which
the trusts can practice.
II cannot permit this opportunity to
pass without expressing the opinion
that the principle embodied in the
protective tariff has been the fruitful
rupton as well as the support of many
of our most iniquitous trusts.
but one of the worst features Of
| the tariff levied not for revenue, but
for the avowed purpose of protection
is that is fosters the idea that men
should use their votes to advance their
avn financial interests.
f. "For a generation the fat has been
| fried out of the manufacturers by the
republican congressional committee
and then the manufacturers have been
reimbursed with legislation. With
public conscience educated 10 believe
that this open purchase of action was
entirely proper, no wonder that insur-
ance companies have used the money
of their pOlicyholders to carry cleo
tions-nO wonder that trusts have
FASTENED to purchase immunity from
punishment with liberal donations.
How can we draw n moral distinction
between the man who sells his vote
| for five dollars ON election day AMI
the manufacturer who sells his polid-
cal influence for fifty or a hundred
dollars, payable in dividends? How
can we draw a moral line between the
Isenator or congressman elected by the
| trusts to prevent hostile legislation
and the senator or congressman keep
| In congress by the manufacturers 10
secure friendly legislation?
"The party which justified the one
| form Of bribery cannot be relied upon
+ to condemn the other.
Tariff Burden to Consumer.
There never was a time when tar
| iff reform could be more easily en-
tered upon. for the manufacturers by
selling abroad cheaper than at home.
| -. . H. lapNH aAN "a IA
shown their ingratitude toward those
who built the tariff wall for them, but
they have demonstrated their ability
to sell in competition with the world.
The high tariff has long been bur
den to the consumers in the United
fStates and 1t is growing more and
more a menace To our foreign conf
merce because II arouses resentment
and provOkes retaliation.
Rate Legislation.
Rate legislation was absolutely
necessary and it furnishes some relief
from the unbearable conditions which
previously existed, but we must not
forget that the Vesting of this enor-
nous power in the hands of the COM
mission appointed by the president
introduces new danger. If an ap-
/ pointive board has the power to fix
rates and can, by the exercise of that
power, increase and decrease by hun-
dreds of millions OF dollars the an
nual revenues of railroads, will not the
railroads feel that they have large
pecuniary interest in the election of a
president friendly to the railroads?
People Must Own Railroads.
II have already reached the con-
cluslon that railroads partake. SO
much the nature of monopoly that
they must ultimately become public
property and be managed by public
officials In the interest of the whole
community in accordance with the
we'll defined theory that public own
ershlp Is necessary where competition
Is impossible. | do not KNOW that q
majority OF my own party favor 1t bui
believe that an increasing number
of the members of all parties see In
public ownership the sure remedy fol
determinations between persons and
politics and from the extortlonate
rates for the carrying OF freight and
passengers. would prefer to see only
the trunk lines operated by the fed.
eral government and local lines by
the several state governments.
Investigation In Europe has con
vinced me that this dual ownership II
entirely practicable. In those statei
where the people are ripe for 3
change the local lines can be pur'
chased or new lines built at once
while private ownership can contln
ne in those states In which the peopl,
still prefer private ownership.
! III any one of you question the pro
! prlety of my mentioning this subjec
| beg to remind you that the presI-
dent could not.have secured the pas
! sage Of the rate bill had he not ap
pealed TO the fear Of the adoption o
! the more radical remedy of govern
ment ownership, and nothing will 81
restrain the railroad magnates from
lnttempting to capture the Interstate