The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-31

dong Hit oEes its present success to
cAHzp4Eneontributions secured from
the trusts. h great Corporations do
mot contribute their money to any par
ty except for immunity expressly
promised or closely implied. The presi-
dent hasSrecommended legislation on
this subject, but so far his party has
tailed to respond No important ad-
vance an be made until this baneful
influence Is eliminated, and hope that
the Democratic party will not only
challenge 1.-THE Republican party to
prlng forward effective legislation on
this subject, Il will set an example by
refqepG totrseeive campaign contribu-
mons from the corporations, and by
opening the books so that every con-
tr1butor of any considerable sum maj
election.
THE great majority of corporations
are engaged in legitimate business, and
nave nothing to fear from hostile leg
lslation and the officers should not be
permitted to use the money of the
stockh olders to advance their own po-
litical opinions.
Contributions should be individual,
no corporate, and no party can afford
to receive contributions ven from in
dividuals when the acceptance of these
contributions secretly pledges the par
ty to a cours which it not openly
aYoW. In other words, politics should
be honest, and I mistake present CON
ditions in America If they do not re-
ceive improvement in the conduct:ofs
! campaigns. sor
TRUSTS the Paramount I~ssue.asrs-=
while men may differ as to the
relative Importance of issues, and
while the next congress will largely
shape the lines upon which the COM
ing presidential campaign will be
fought, I think 1t is safe to say that at
present the paramount Issue in the
minds of the people is the trust issue.
I congratulate President Roosevelt
upon the steps which he has taken to
enforce the antitrust laws, and my
that he has followed the Democratic,
rather than the Republican. platform
in every advance he has made. 1t has.
been g. great embarrassment to him
that the platform upon which he was
elected vas filed with praise OF the
Republican party's record, rather than
with promises of reform. Even the
enthusiastic support given him by the
Democrats a enabled h champions
! of h rusts4 to taunt him with follow
ing Democratic leadership. He has
probably gone as far as he could with
out mourning he hostility of the lead
ers Of his own party. The trouble is
that the Republican party is not~in a
positioneto apply effective and thor
oughgofng reforms, because it has
built up through special legislation the
very abuses whieh~need to be eradi-
Gated
III a 4LuSts
Before any Intelligent action can
be taken against the trusts we must
have "a definition of a trust. Because
\ incorporation has an absolute and
! complete monopoly of any important
product, the apOIogists for the trusts
insist there are in reality no trusts.
Others insist that it is impossible to
legislate against such trusts as may
exist without doing injury to legiti-
mate business. For the purpose of
this discussion-it is sufficient to draw
the line at the point where competition
ceases to be effective, and to designate
as a trust any corporation which con-
trolls so much of the production of any
article thatait can fix the terms and
4 conditions of sale.
Legislation which prevents a.
monopoly not only does not injure-
legitimate business. but ~actuail pro-
tects Legitimate business from injury.
We are indebted to the younger
Rocke1eIIefefof DISQUALIFICATION which
makes tRLH distinction clear In de-
tending the trust system he is ouOted
as saying that, as the American Beauty.
cannot ~be.-broughts to perfection with
out pinching off ninety-nine buds, so
that the one 4~hundredth bud can re-
| ceiVe the full strength of the bush, so
great industrial organizations are i'm
possible without the elimination Of the
smaller ones. Tt is a cruel Illustration,
but it plts a perfectly accurate picture
of trust methods.
THE Democratic party champions
the cause of the ninety-nine enterprises
which are menaced-they must not be
sacrificed that n great combine may
dourish-and When the subject is IN
derstood we shall receive the cordial
support of hundreds of thousands of
business men who have themselves
Ie1t the oppression of the trusts or
Il who, having observed the effect of the.
trusts upon others. realize that their
safety lies. not in futile attempts at
the restraint of trusts, but in legisla-
tion which will make a private
monopoly impossible.
Would ImDrison Trust OmciaIs.
There must be no mistaking an is
sue. and no. confusion of the line of
battle The trust, as an institution
VIII have few open defenders. The
policy of the trust magnates will be to
insist upon reasonable legislation and
then hey will rely upon their power
to corrupt legislatures. and to intimi-
date executives to prevent the applica-
ton of any remedies which would in
terfere WitE-e-the& trusts. Our motto
must be "A private monopoly IS inde-
fenstbfe and intolerable' and our plan
of attack must contemplate the total
and complete overthrow of the monop-
oily industry. Df'
I'VE need not quarrel over renee
dies. We must show ourselves willing
to. support any remedy which promises
substantial advantage to the people in
their warfare against monopoly Some
thing is to be expected from the en-
forcement of the criminal clause of
the Sherman anti-trust law. but this
law must be enforced not against a
few trusts. as at present, but against
all trusts. and the aim must be to i'm
prison the guilty, not merely to re-
cover a fine.
what is a fine Of 1000, or even
$40, 900 to a trust which makes $685.
900 while the trial is in progress? II
the criminal clause is not good to be
enforced it ought to be repealed. If
Imprisonment is too severe a punish
ment for the eminently respectable
of hundreds of millions OF dollars an
HYunTurefnrENc