Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-31

he is to be intelligent sovereign. To
drive him from. his bed to his task and
from his task back to his bed is to de-
prive the family of his companionship,
fiuence.
Thus far 1 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 1 betray
my interest in those policies for which the
democratic party stands. l have not had
an opportunity to make a democratic speech
for almostNa year, and no one-not even
political enemy-could be so cruel as to
forbid me to speak of those policies on this
occasion
Our opponents have derived not only
partisan pleasure, but also partisan ad
vantage, from the division caused in our
party by the money question. They ought
not therefore, begrudge us the satisfaction
that we find in the fact that unexpected
conditions have removed the cause of our
differences and permitted us to present a
united front on present issues. The I'M
looked Tor and unprecedented increase in the
production of gold had brought a victory to
both the advocates of gold and the advo-
Gates of bimetallism the former keeping the
gold standard which they wanted, and the
latter securing the larger volume of money
Ior winch they contended.
Bimetallists Are Satisfied.
I'VE who favor bimetallism are satisfied
with our victory, if the friends of mono
metallism are satisfied with theirs, and we
can invite them to contest of zeal and
endurance in the effort to restore to the
people the rights which have been gradu-
ally 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 few years
ago resented any inspection of their
schemes and hid their rascality under
hish-sounding phrases. These investiga-
tons have also disclosed the source of the
enormous campaign funds which have been
used to debauch elections and corrupt the
ballot.
The people see now what they should
nave seen before. namely, that no party
can exterminate the trust so long as it
owes its political success to campaign con-
trlbutlons 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. No important ad-
vance can be made until this baneful inf1u-
ence Is eliminated. and 1 hope that the
democratic party will not only challenge the
republican party to bring forward effective
legislation on this subject. but will set an
example by refusing to receive campaign
contributions from corporations and by
opening the books SO that every contrib
utor OF any considerable sum may be
known to the public before the election.
Corporations and Legislation.
"The great majority of corpora lions are
engaged in legitimate business and have
nothing to fear from hostile legislation, and
the officers should not be permitted to use
the money of the stockholders to advance
their own political opinions. Contributions
should be individual. not corporate. an no
party can afford to receive contributions
even from individuals when the acceptance
of these contributions secretly pledge the
W no1
avow. In other words, politics should be
honest, and l mistake political conditions
in America If they do not presage improve
ment 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 presidential cam
paign will be fought, think 1t is safe to
say that at present the paramount issue
In the minds Of a large majority Of the
people Is the trust issue.
Il congratulate President Roosevelt
upon the steps which he has taken to en-
force the antitrust law, and my gratifica-
ton Is not lessesened by the fact that he
has followed the democratic rather than
the republican platform in every advance
he has made. 1t has been a great embar-
rassment to him that the platform upon
which he was elected was filled with
praise of the republican party's record
rather than with promises of reform; even
the enthusiastic support given him by the
democrats has enabled the champions of
the trusts to taunt him with following
democratic leadership. He has probably
gone as far as he could without mourning
the hostility Of leaders Of his own party.
Republican Party Unequal to Reforms
THE trouble is that the republican
party is not in position to apply effec-
tive and thoroughgoing reforms. because
it has built up, through special legisla-
ton, the very abuses which need to be
eradicated
Before any intelligent action can be
taken against the trusts we must have
definition of a trust. Because no corpora
ton has an absolute and complete monop-
oily of any important product, the apollo
gists for the trusts seem to insist that
there are in reality no trusts Others
insist that 1t is impossible to legislate
against such trusts may exist without
doing injury to legitimate business. For
the purpose Of this discussion 1t is suffl-
cient to draw the line at point where
competition ceases to be effective and to
designate a trust any corporation which
controls SO much Of the product of any
article that 1t can fix the terms and con-
ditionS Of SALE
Legislation which prevents monopoly
not only does not injure legitimate bust
ness, but actually protects legitimate
business from injury. We are indebted
tration which makes this distinction clear.
In defending the trust system he is
quoted as saying that as the American
| beauty rose cannot De brought 10 pcTIeC-
ton without pinching off ninety-nine buds,
so that the one-hundredth bud can receive
the full strength Of the bush, SO great
industrial organizations are impossible
without the elimination Of the smaller
ones.
Democracy and the Trusts.
TT is a cruel illustration, but it presents
q perfectly accurate description Of trust
methods The democratic party cham
pions the cause of the ninety-nine enter
prises which are menaced; they must not
be sacrificed that one great combina-
ton may flourish and when the subject is
understood we shall receive the cordial sup
port of hundreds of thousands Of business
men who have themselves felt the oppres-
sion Of trusts or who, having observed the
effects of the trust upon others, realize
that their safety lies not in futile at.
tempts at the restraint of trusts, but in
legislation which will make private mo-
nopoly impossible.
There must be no mistaking of the is
sues and no confusing of the line of battle.
The trusts, as an institution. will have few
omen defenders. The policy of the trust