The Topeka state journal., 1908-08-25
determination the Only Rem.
edy for Private Monopoly,
Declares the Democrat Candi.
date for President.
1T is INDEFENSIBLE.
Bad In Principle and Bad in
Practice, He Says.
Compares Positions Of the Par.
ties on the Subject.


Indianapolis, Aug 25.-FolIowinS the
ceremony of formally notifying John
W. Kern of his nomination for vice
president today. William Jennings
Bryan delivered his promised address
on the subject of The Trusts. He spoke
as follows:
Nowhere does the Republican party
show its indifference to real reform
more than in it's treatment Of the trust
question. Here is the Republican plat
form:
The Republican party passed the
sherman antitrust law over Demo-
cratic opposition and enforced it after
Democratic dereliction. 1t has been a
wholesome instrument for good in the
hands OF wise and fearless admins
tration. But experience has shown
that Its effectiveness can be strength
ened and its real objects better attain
ed by such amendments as will give to
the FEDERAL government greater super
vision and control over, and secure
greater publicity in, the MANAGEMENT
or that class of corporations engaged
IN interstate commerce. having power
and opportunity to affect monopolies"
The Sherman antitrust law was
passed eighteen years ago; 1t has a
| criminal clause which provides a peni-
1
| conspire together in restraint of trade
! Ever since the enactment of the law,
with the exception Of four years. the
Republican party has controlled the
executive department of the govern
ment, and. during two years of the
| four 1t controlled the house of repre-
| sentatives. Instead of Democratic
| dereliction, the Democratic party has
been urging. year after year. the strict
enforcement of that law, and the Re-
4 w hoe h2 s-s
year after year why it was impossible
| to enforce it. Instead of being a
4 wholesome instrument for good,'' 1t
| has been almost useless, so far as the
protection of the public is concerned.
| for the trusts have grown in number,
in strength, and in arrogance. at the
very time when the Republican party
| was boasting of its enforcement of the
| law. The steel trust was formed i'm
/ mediately after the election of 1900,
speech soon after, that it might have
prevented Republican victory IL 1t
| had been formed before the election.
Trusts Little Disturbed.
| Most of the trusts have never been
| disturbed. and those that have been
| prosecuted have not had their business
seriously interrupted. The president
has done something toward the en-
forcement Of the law, but not nearly
enough. and the Republican leaders
| have thwarted him at every point.
| Finally the president became so ex-
asperated that he sent to congress
| message which shocked Republican
| leaders by the fierceness of its denun-
| citation of the predatory interests. The
very convention that spoke in it's plat
| form of the administration as "a wise
| and fearless one," was composed large
| ly of the senators and members of con-
gress who boldly opposed every effort
to free the people from the clutches of
the favor-seeking corporations.
The Republican platform says that
| experience has shown that the effec-
| tiveness of the antitrust law could be
| strengthened by amendments which
will give the federal government great
| er supervision and control over. and
greater publicity as to, the manage
ment of those interstate commerce cor
porations which have the power and
| opportunity to affect monopolies. That
| is all. No pointing out of remedies:
no outlining of a plan for more effec-
| tive overwhelmingly a general state
ment that promises nothing in particu
| lar. And Mr.. Taft's speech of accept
ance is even weaker than the platform.
| He gives no evidence of having studied
| the question or of comprehending the
| iniquities of a monopoly. You look in
| vain in his notification speech for any
| sign of Indignation at what the trusts
have been doing or for evidence of
zeal in their prosecution. He has, for
several
companion of the president, but he has
| caught none of the fire which the presi-
dent manifested in his message OF last
January.
II, in the presence Of an aroused peo-
ME and in the heat OF a campaign.
| the Republican party contents itself
with a colorless platform on this sub
| ject what can we expect In the way OF
| activity when the exigencies of the
campaign are passed? If, when Mr..
RO0Sayp1f O.
nuhlicans his discussion of the subject
| is SO lifeless and his manner so apollo
eetic and apathetic. what reason have
we to expect either vigor in the en-
forcement of the law or earnestness in
the search for additional remedies?
In his speech delivered about a year
ago announcing his candidacy Mr.. Taft
suggested that the present law be so
amended as to permit reasonable" re-
straint of trade. Such an amendment
| would be as absurd as an amendment
| to the law against burglary limiting
| the law to cases in which more than
two burglars entered the house at one
| time or took more than half they
found In his notification speech he
suggests national interpretations rem
| edy which would make conditions
worse because. without ADDING to the
power of congress to prevent monopo-
| lies. it would deprive the states OF the
power to protect their own people.
Platforms COMPARED.
Now. let me contrast the Democratic
nlatform with the Republican platform
| Nowhere is the. difference in the tenn
per of the parties more noticeable; no.
where is the difference in the method
of dealing with questions more mani
! fest. Our platform says:
| "A private monopoly is indefensible
| and intolerable. We therefore favor the
vigorous enforcement of the criminal
| law against guilty trust magnates and
| officials and demand the enactment of
| such additional legislation as may be
(Continued on Page Thr>AA