Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-13
THE INDIANA STRADDLE

In a paragraph yesterday The Her
aid referred to the platform of the Re
publican convention of Indiana as a
straddle on the freight rate regulation
question. A closer and more studious
view of the document shows that it
was a straddle throughout. Plank by
plank it sops the corporations with one
hand and "the common people" with
the other. In short, it elaborately an
nounces that it favors both sides with
equal impartiality.
The Indiana Republican platform is
of unusual importance at this juncture
because it is the first Republican ut
terance upon leading issues and be-
cause Indana's favorite son, Vice
President Fairbanks, is believed to be
the leading candidate for the presl-
Dental nomination.
Indiana Republicans declare them
selves for the high protective tariff.
And also for reciprocity.
They declare the party IS favorable
to a freight rate regulation that will
also of the common carriers.
They declare the Republican party
"favors the enactment of all laws de-
signed to protect the people against
the encroachment of combined cap
ital," and in the same breath realizes
that capital must combine"
And to cap the climax it indorses
1.-The action of President Roosevelt in
rigidly enforcing the antitrust laws. ;"
Now when did President Roosevelt
'rigidly enforce the antitrust laws" =?
The Northern merger case is one-yes.
How many more? Can anybody pic
ture in their minds Attorney General
Knox, a known trust agent, enforcing
any antitrust laws? Has Attorney
General Moody done anything in that
line? The beef trust, the steel trust,
the smelter trust, the railroad trust,
the Standard Oil trust-are they not
all doing business at the old stand un-
disturbed and prosperous as ever?
BAH 1T is to laugh" were it not
tragedy.
I'VE favor the shippers" say the In
diana Fairbanks Republicans, in effect;
''also the common carriers" Is that the
way to conduct battle for the people?
Is that the kind of war cry that
arouses enthusiasm and rights wrongs?
Not this year.
There is now before congress a con-
crete measure touching railroad rate
regulation. The senate is lined up for
and against the shippers-for and
against the railroads. Here are Sem
ator Beveridge and Vice President
Fairbanks debating for their party the
supposed keynote of the campaign,
and that keynote-a straddle.
The Republicans of Indiana, voicing
the coming attitude of the national Re-
publican party, declare themselves on
both sides of the pending issues and
will go into campaign ostensibly on
behalf of the people and at the same
time receiving sustenance and encour-
agement from the enemies of the peo-
pie.
1t is a striking proof of all that The
Herald has said recently respecting
the campaign that will shortly be upon
US. The Democratic party is the one
hope of the people. 1t will have a
battle cry that will mean something.
1t will declare itself plainly on the
living issues, and there will be no
straddle and no compromise in any
of it's utterances. 1t will not speak for
the shippers and the common carriers
in the same breath. 1t will not with
one hand give out compliments to the
citizens and with the other reach out
to help the trusts as the Indiana Re
publicans have done, and as the
national Republican party has always
DONE
The greatest opportunity in the his
tory of Democracy is now presented
and the people will give it victory.