The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-22

by which these questions can be settled,
not only that we may save the 1aborlng
man from the necessity of starving his
wife and children while he fights for jus
tee but bring employer and employee to-
gether as friends to work to common
end. (Applause)
What else has the President borrowed
from us7 Well, he started out to enforce
the antitrust law, and again l am glad
to commend him, but he has not taken Il
step In the enforcement of the ANTITRUST
law, except where he has followed In
democratic footsteps We have been de-
manding for years that this law be en-"
forced. The criminal clause of 1t we
have demanded should be enforced. At
first they started out TO enforce 1t by in
junction. IL q trust stole so much that
the people got to making too much fuss
about It, they went into court and asked
a Judge to please tell the trust magnates
not to do so any more, That Is what an
injunction is--tell them not to do It, But
my friends they found that would not do,
and then they began TO talk about iineing
them. Yes fineinR them and what q
tremendous punishment a five thousand
dollar fine Is when It is assessed against
a trust that can make hundred thous-
and violating the law while the trial ii
in progress. (Applause)
We said enforce the criminal law, and
now they are beginning to talk about ell
forcing the criminal law IN such way
as to actually put trust magnate in the
penitentiary. 1t shows the growth of pub
lie opinion. Il is not many years since
that they called US anarchists because
we demanded that the big criminals should
wear the same kind of stripes as the lit
tie criminals. (Applause)
But now these violations of the law are
becoming so well known that even re-
publican leaders are beginning TO recog-
nize that something really heroic must
be done. I believe that IL our government
would enforce the criminal clause of the
Sherman law and put Il FEW trust mag
mates behind prison bars II would do
more to stop trusts in this country than
all the injunetions they nave asked for
than all the fines they have levied, more
than all the speeches they have made.
(Applause.)
But my friends, the trouble is this, that
the republican party is not willing to lay
the axe at the root of the tree. II you tell
me that the republican party Is trying to
enforce the law, I tell you that they
have been in power ten years and yet
trusts thrive and fatten upon the people
If the laws already on the statute books
are sufficient, why have they not been
ffAVNtNe~A+ @AhANA
If they say they cannot protect the people
by present laws, that new laws are neees-
sary, then why with all this abundant
power have they not enacted the laws
that were necessary?
Private Monopoly.
The trouble is that the republican lead
ers have not recognized the necessity Of
applying the principles set forth in the
democratic platform six years ago, and
repeated two years ago, namely, that
private monopoly indefensibe and intol-
cradle? There is no other doctrine; it
is but ehilds play to talk about reguat-
ing private monopoly. # that is all You
are going to do, the monopoly will elect
the regulators and then you have no
regulation at all, that Is what has been
going on. They furnish the campaign fund
and they have such tremendous influence
that the efforts of the individual have
thus far been impotent. My friends the
republican party today stands before the
country as defendant, and it must confess
failure to satisfy public opinion.
The sentiment In the country today Is
not favorable to the republican party
Why2 Because the party has failed to
deal with these questions wisely and eff
fectually. I hAar some fear expressed now
that socialism may give this country
trouble. My friends, who is responsible
or what Is responsible ror the growth of
socialism? I say to you that the repub-
lican party is responsible today for what
ever socialism we have in the country.
(Applause) How is it responsible? 1t has
permitted abuses to grow up under re-
publican laws; that Is not a part of In
dividualism and ought not to have been
permitted: and part of the strength Of
socialism is found In the fact that the
socialists denounced these abuses that the
par should have
mitted, and ought now to be quick to REM
edy. More than that, the socialist party
today is building upon the theory that
trust is an economic growth that 1t is a
natural thing, and that 1t has got to stay,
and every republican who defends a trust
as an economic advantage Is strengthen
ing the position of the socialist. and l
want to warn republicans that if this
country ever comes to the conclusion that
a trust is necessary. that 1t is an adj
vantage, there will be just one question
in the country, and that will be, whether
the advantage of a trust shall be owned
by all the people or shall be for the bene-
fit of few of the people. (Applause)
The Socialists.
The republican party is not in a position
to combat this doctrine. The republican
leaders denounce the socialist and call
him hard names. They err In that the
socialist is an honest man. He sees things
that are not right and he seeks REM
edy My objection to the socialist is, that
he has found remedy which [ believe to
be a false foundation, but he must be
met with argument, and not with abuse.
The republican leaders abuse him, and
then they strengthen his hands by en-
forcing this argument in regard to eco
nomic advantages of a trust.
The democratic party alone is in a posi-
ton to combat this fallacy. We are OPP
posed to private monopoly. We say that
God never made a man good enough to
stand at the head of a private monopoly
and control the price of that which peo-
pie have to buy. If they tell you 1t Is
cheaper to make all the cloth in one
factory or under one company merely
because they find they can make a million
yards cheaper in one factory than they
can thousand In another-if they make
that argument answer them that the
logic is at fault, for the moment COM
pany secures a monopoly or approaches
a monopoly, there is a falling off of in
ventive genious and improved methods
and progress and as soon as the monop-
oily is complete, there Is a falling off of
the quality of the thing produced. When
there Is no competition to spur a man on
the natural self-conseiousness is apt to
assert itself, and the corporation seeks to
cheaper the product that it may en-
large the dividends. But a third objec-
ton to my mind is even graver. and
that Is, when you manufacture all of one
commodity under one corporation. you de-
stroy the hope in the breast of the work
ing man. and when you destroy his ambi-