The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-07-12
He Declares He Is Willing
to Accept the U. s. Sena-
torial Nomination Under
Certain Conditions
FAVORS BRYAN ALSO
BANQUET GIVEN HIM BY THE
DELAWARE CLUB LAST NIGHT
THE OCCASION OF HIS AN
NOUNCEMENT

At banquet rendered last night by
the Delaware Club to Col. E. A. Stevens,
of Hoboken, whose candidacy for United
States Senator has been urged by Demo-
Gratis throughout the State, the Colonel
announced that he had decided to make
the canvass under certain conditions. In
his speech he clearly defined his position.
After declaring that his engagements
abroad and at home were such that he
could at least give only his name to the
canvass, he said:
'sThe main interests in national matters
today are the tariff, the trusts and the
labor question. | have never changed
from the old Democratic stand that the
tariff is a tax to be imposed for raising
a revenue in the manner that will be
the least burdensome to the people. 1
believe that the schedules on iron and
many of its manufactures, on coal and
on lumber, should be thoroughly revised,
and if l was Senator l should so VOTE
1 would also favor from time to time re-
vision of other schedules, until the whole
tariff be brought to a revenue basis.
"sThe trusts (so-called) have become a
most prominent feature of our CONNER
cial and Industrial life Whether desir-
able or not, we cannot root them
out without a commercial panic and
financial disaster. The objections to
them are the temptations they offer to
the unscrupulous to influence legislation
and the administrator of government,
and to oppress the public as competitors
or as customers. In other words, it is
the abuse and not the use of their prop
er powers that should be restrained I,
therefore, favor the utmost publicity
that can be given to the affairs Of all
corporations engaged in interstate COM
merce, or using public franchises or pub
lie properties in their business; in fact.
of all whom the law can reach. Such
publicity as will be necessary for this
purpose will not of itself follow on the
enactment of a statute. The data will
have to be gathered by a carefully or
ganized force provided by such law. /
also hold that one, if not the mainstay
of the abuses of corporate power, is the
tariff, and that its revision along con-
seryative lines can best end many such
abuses without harm to the public.
''The organization of labor is neces-
sity. The results so far accomplished
in spite of many mistakes and much pub
lie misunderstanding justify it's past. It's
present immediate object-an eight-hour
day as standard for labor-has my full
sympathy. I doubt whether such a
change can be suddenly and generally
made without serious disturbance of
business and thus jeopardizing the object.
How soon the result can be brought
about is matter about which there is
some doubt.
sIt may be unnecessary to say any
thing of the violence and crime that have
been held up to the public as the work
and mark of labor organizations. Such
crimes should be dealt with as other
crimes are, not only to preserve the peace
and the rights of all citizens, but for the
sake of the labor movement.
Now, as to one or two minor issues,
hold that the present method of ehoos-
ing Senators has not fulfilled the objects
of the trainers of the Constitution and
should be changed, and pending the
necessary Constitutional revision I
favor such party action as you now pro-
pose as the best way of avoiding the
LAKE SHORE RVS ELKS TOUR