The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-09-08

fosters the idea that men should use their
votes to advance their own financial In
that is Tor hqs been so
opinions opinions on other subjects may be, will
cts; sheep growers have been iso encouraged
! TO believe that they should have no high
ef ann wmo; IN voting than to raise the price
urged to make their wages their only
concern. For generation the fat" has
Pssn fTied out Of the manutaesurer by the
then the manufacturers have been REIN
bursed by legislation. With the public
conscience educated to believe that this
" proper, no wonder that insurance COM
panies have used the money of their
i3,. ,s, to carry elections-no Won
immunity from punishment with liberal
donations. How can we draw a moral
u ,in between the man who sells his
the manufacturer who sells his political
influence for fifty or n hundred thousand
a t,n ;i,.s =, payable in dividends? How can
we draw a moral line between the senator
or congressman elected by the trusts to
prevent hostile legislation and the senator
or congressman kept in congress by. the
inanu1aCturers to secure friendly legiSla-
tlon? The party which justified the one
FORM or bribery cannot be relied upon to
| condemn the other.
Railroad Rate Question.
l Inc, railroad question is also intcrwov-
en- with the trust question. Nearly all the
or secured other advantages over COM
petitora. Absolute equality OF treatment
at the hands OF the railroads would go far
that the president has had the courage
w While IL. the law. as i was finally distorted
wished. 1t deserves fair trial.
Kate regulation was absolutely neces-
sary. and II furnishes some relief from
the unhcarablc conditions which previous
y eNbted: but we muEt not forget that
me yesttng of this enormous power in the
hands or the commission appointed by the
appointive board has the power to fix
rates: and can, by the exercise Of that
pf increase a o or decrease by hundreds
Of the railroads Will not the railroads feel
t ~ they have large pecuniary interest
the 'ne OF president friendly
St at. that municipal corruption is large
" traceable to the fact that franchise cor
pHra an I'D, desire to control the city coun.
their managers adopt the same policy
a tns ssn''m ,1 ~, in 49,, favor , Of the
s%srsn Of is Tx likely ra 'c by ta as
rapidly throughout the country as the
sentiment sen, ne t., In favor of municipal owner-
Il have already reached the conclusion
that railroads pnrtake SO much Of the ma
ture or monopoly that they must ultl-
managed by public ofticla in the interest
with I ths wen defined theory that pubic
country is ready for this change. I do
not Know that Il majority of my own
party, favor 1t. but believe that al, In
creasins number of the members of all
parties see In public ownership the sure
remedy for DETERMINATIONS between per-
fif,ut md fDs e1,a
rates for the carrying OF freight and pas
sengcrs.
- "hSl,ey'ng. however. that the operation
eminent would result in u ccntralizatlo
which would MI but oblitcrate state linca,
J. prefer TO see only the trunk lines oper-
local lines by the several state govern
nents.
Government Should Own Roads.
AS to the right of the government. fed
eral and state, To own and operate rail
roads there can he no doubt. II we can
railroad transportation during half of the
year we can build II rnilrond and cheaper
crnl hundred millions on the Panama
canal to lower trnnscontinental rates. we
can build railroad from New York to
mental ana local rates. The United State.
mail Is increasing 80 rapidly that we shall
soon bc able to pay the interest on the
cost OF trunk lines out of the money which
we pay to railroads for carrying through
malls.
"On another occasion shall call nttcn-
ton to the rapidly growing expenditures
or the federal government. 1t IL natural
that those who look upon taxation as y
blessing should view overgrown uppropr.
atoms with cOnlplnccncy, yet even tho de-
sire to find the ways of spending the rev.
cnlIcs brought into the treasury by II high
tariff cannot wholly account for the reck-
1000
Trusts the Main Evil.
but at this time ] desire to center your
thoughts upon the OvcrslIadowing evil Of
the dny-thc trnst-with the plutocratlo
tendencies that result therefroin. 1t de-
nnnds n remedy, and he people are pre-
The Democratic party offers IL solution
Which is both reasonable and adequate
II solution In which time honored Drin-
ciples are applied to new conditions.
'"rhc Democratic party Is not the enemy
of property or Of property. rights; 1t Is
on the contrary the best defender OF boti,
because IL defends human rights. and hu-
man rights are the only foundation upon
which property, and property rights can
rest securely. The Democratic party does
not menace single dollar legiumately
nccumuinted: on the contrary. it insists
upon tho protection Of rich ana poor alike
In the enjoyment Of that which they have
does not discourage thrift. but, in the
contrary. stimulates each Individual to
the highest enueAVDf ny assuring him
that he will not be deprived of the fruits
of his toll. If we can but repeal the laws
which enable men to reap where they
have not sowm-lnws which enable then,
to garner into their Overlooking barns
the harvests that belong to Others-nO
one will be able to accumulate enough to
make his fortune dangerous to the colIn-
try. Special privilege and the use of the
taxing power for private gniil-tllesc are
the twin pillars upon which plutOcracy
rests. TO take away these supports and
to elevate the bcneficiaries of special leg
islatiOn to the path of honest effort Ougi:.
to he the purpose of our party.
"PlutOcracy ~ aDhOrrent to Il republic:
II Is more dcspOtic than monarchy, more
hcnrtlcss than aristOcracy, more selfish
than bureaucracy. II prcyS upon the ma
ti0n in time Of peace and conspircs against
II in the hour of its calemity. Conscience
less, cOmpassOnlcss and devoid of wis
dom, it encrvntcs its votaries while 1t i'm
pOvcrishcs its victims. 1t Is already sap
ping the strength of the nation. vulgar
izing social life ana making n mOckery Of
morals. Tho time Is ripe for its over
throw. Let us attack 1t boldly making
our appeal to the awakened conscience OF
the nation in the name Of the counting
room which 1t has defiled. in the name Of
business honor which it has sullied, in tho
name of the people whom it has Oppress-
ed, IN the name OF the homes which it has
despoiled and in the name OF religion
upon which it has placed the stigma Of
hypocrisy.