The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-08-31

than formerly; he is a citizen as well as laborer and must have time for the study of public questions, before he is to be an intelligent sovereign. To drive him from his bed to his task and from his task back to his bed is to deprive the family of his con- panionship, society of his service and politics of Iris influence.
 Thus far I have dwelt upon subjects which may not be regarded as strictly partisan, but I am sure that you will pardon me if in this presence l betray my interest in those policies for which the democratic party stands. l have not had an opportunity to make a dem- ocratio speech for almost a year. and no one-not even political enemy could be so cruel as to forbid me to | speak of these policies on this occasion. Our opponents have derived not only partisan pleasure, but also partisan advantage from the division caused in our party by the money question. They ought not, therefore, begrudge the satisfaction that we find in the fact | that unexpected conditions have re- ! moved the cause of our differences and | permitted us to present a united front | on present issues. The unlocked for and unprecedented increase in the pro- duct1on of gold had brought victory to both the advocates of gold and the | advocates of bimetallism, the former keeping the gold standard which they | DeoJ Ak, 11t n1r uf1 larger volume of money for which they contended. We who favor bimetallism are satisfied with our victory if our friends are satisfied with theirs, and we can invite them to contest of zeal and endur- ance in the effort to restore to the people the nights which have been gradually taken from them by the trusts
 The Investigations which have been in progress during the past year have disclosed the business methods of those who a few years ago resented any in spectlon of their schemes and hid their rascality under high sounding phrases. These Investigations have also dis closed the source of the enormous cam Ipaign funds which have been used to debauch elections and corrupt the bal lot.
 The people see now what tey should nave seen before, namely, that no par ty can eXterminate the trusts so long as it owes its political success to cam paign contributions secured from the trusts. The great corporations do not contribute their money to any party except for immunity expressly prom ised or clearly implied The president has recommended legislation o1 this subject, but So far his party has failed to respond. No important advice can be made until this baneful influence is eliminated and I hope that the dem locratic party will not only challenge the republican party to bring forward effective legislation on this subject, but will set an example by refusing to re- ceive campaign contributions from cor porations and by opening the books so that every contributor of any consider able sum may be known to the public Jbefore the election The great mai0ri- ty of corporation are engaged in legit- Innate business and have nothing to fear from hostile leglsation and the officers should not be permitted to use
 the money of the stockholders to ad- vance their own political opinions. lContributions should be individual, not corporate, and no party can afford to receive contributions even from indi- viduals when the acceptance of these contributions secretly pledges the eparty
 to 8 course which it cannot openly avow Tn other words politics should
 be honest and I mistake political con
 ditions in America if they do not pre-
 sage Improvement in the conduct of
 campaigns.
 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 presi-
 dential campaign will be fought,
 think 1t is safe to say that at present
 the paramount issue in the minds of g large majority of the people is the
 trust issue. l congratulate 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 dem.
 ocratic rather than the republican
 platform in every advance he has made. It has been a great embarrass. lment to him that the platform upor
 which he was elected was filled witt lpraise of the republican party's recorG Irather than with promises of reform
 Even the enthusiastic support giyer | him by the democrats has enabled the
 champions of the trusts to taunt hin
 with following democratic leadership
 He has probably gone as far as ht could without mourning the hostility 0.
 the leaders of his own party. Tht trouble is that the republican party i, not in a position to apply effective ant thorough-going reforms because it has built up, through special legislation
 the very abuses which need to be era. ldicated
 Before any intelligent action can bt taken against the trusts We must have a definition of trust, Because nc Icorporation has an absolute and com
 plete monopoly of an important produc the apologlsts for the trusts sometimes insist that there are in reality nC trusts. Others insist that it is impos , sible to legislate against such trusts a! lmay exist without doing injury to le Igitimate business. For the purpose 0. this discussion it is sufficient to draw the line at the point where eompeti tion ceases to be effective and to desig lnate as a trnst any corpOration Whicf