Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-01-21

principles of the
NJ. E. INGALLS,. party had not
changed much since the days of "Old
Hickory" and then launching into his
subject. spoke as follows:
To-day, as in the days of Andrew
jackson. the Democratic party believes
in equal rights and fair play for all.
We believe that, in this great republic of
ours, every man should have his fair
opportunity--his chance in the world.
If he does not avail himself of it, that
is his fault.
1t would take me more time than
have this evening if | should endeavor
to tell You everything that | think Dem
ocracy ought to stand for: to go into
details. which | will not do. but there
are certain great principles which think
ought to be set forth in our platform
for the coming National and State cam
paigns; that we should all unite on them.
and if we do, | am quite sure we shall
win.
These are my own views of what l
think ought to be done, but / trust that
our party leaders may believe as | do,
and that substantially tscg nay be the
slogan of our coming campaign.
We hear much to-day from the Repub-
lican leaders about the large corp Irations
and trusts and predatory wealth, and they
call for their destruction (as though that
would bring safety to the Republicl, when
the fact is, 1t is like cutting down the
weeds instead of digging them up by the
roots. To my mind, the great source and
cause of these large corporations, and this
great accumulation of wealth in few
hands is due to our system of taxation
more especially the tariff. That is the
great breeder of trusts ard fortunes. A
tariff which enables men to combine and
keep out competition, and then feed upon
the public increasing their profits from
year to year. This is the source and
origin of nearly all these great combina-
lions.
Theory of Tariff Reversed.
When this government first started and
until a few years since, the theory of the
tariff was that 1t should be laid as TO
| provide revenue. with taxation as an incl
dent. This has been changed in the last
few rears, so that to-day your tariff Is
made for protection. and the revenue is
only an incident. Thus is the doctrine of
the fathers reversed and reversed for
what? For the purpose of enabling these
great corporations to protect themselves,
and form alliances and combinations which
will keep out competition; and sell
cheaper tc foreigners than to our own pee
and produce exactly the condition of af-
fairs that we have to-day. Does any one
think that law can be wise or good which
will enable one man to take three or four
hundred millions of dollars out Of manu-
featuring business by a combination, form
ed solely for the purpose of driving out all
the smaller manufacturers and forming one
gigantic monopoly? Was there ever a
| tariff law made in the last twenty years
that was not dictated by the Sugar Trust
The President of that trust, who was one
Of the ablest men in the country, properly
and rightly stated at Washington that the
tariff was the mother of trusts No one
knew better than he whereof he spoke. We
do not wish to break down to DESTROY
Our mission is to build up, but we want
to build up for the benefit of the many
and not for the few. Our Republican OPP
| ponents say we must not touch the tariff
this election, and that when it is amended
1t should be by the people who are its
friends that Is, | suppose, those who are
sharing the profits of the legalized rob-
berry. This is nice doctrine, which II APP
piled to everything in the world would
produce some astonishing results. The
swindler who was cheating you might say
he should not be interfered with at pres
ent. and that the laws to protect you from
such swindfing should be made In the fu-
| ture by his friends. We think it we'll IL
this is an evil, as claimed, that 1t should
be eradicated now, and that the provisions
for its eradication should not be made by
those who are sharing in the plumber Let
us have an honest deal let the change be
made at once, and let 1t be made by the
people. So. my fellow Democrats, l would
have our party make this one of the lead
Ing issues of the coming campaign.
Would Control Trusts.
l would endeavor to control the trusts.
and by trusts / mean any combination of
men or individuals for purposes of bust
ness. whether under the name of trust,
corporation or a company There Is really
1 I +
stfoying them, some of the statesmen of
the day demand. We might just as well
ask to have the business of the world
stopped, for, with the modern way of
doing business. it cannot be done by Judi
viduals entirely. but there must be com.
binations and aggregatlons of capital to do
what an individual could not do.
The first way of controlling these is
BY amending the tariff, as ! have already
stated. This will do away with the gov
eminent protection in their lorna tion and
In the conduct of their business
Then. instead of destroying those that
are left. let US control them and make
them our servants and subservient TO law
instead of independent and defying it. Let
US provide that any aggregation of capital,
whether a trust or corporation or a com
pany. By whatever name they call them
selves. intending TO do an interstate bust
ness. shoulIf apply for a license 10 do
business TO the Commissioner of Corpora
lions OF the national government. and in
such application they must state where and
when incorporate ted the amount of their cap
ital. how it was paid for. who are its
stockholders and officers. and. in fact. a
complete history of the formation of the
company. and its financial condition. Then.
IL approved. they should be given permits
sion TO do business. but only with the un-
Outstanding that they make up q state
ment of their condition at least twice a
year, and that they submit all their books
and accounts for examination by commits
n tod av~ In
other words. their entire formation and
conduct OF business shall be brought into
the light Of publicity. Then. IL their con
duct Is wrong. the public viii know and
condemn ii: IL il is right. they will APP
prove it.
II this law had been in force a score
of years sgO. and II the Standard oil Co.
and the Sugar Trust and the Tobacco Trust
had during these years been obliged TO pro-
cure their license under this arrangement :
had been compelled 10 make their state
ments. do you believe for an instant there
would have been the wrongs committed by
them nor would there have been the CON-
| plants and attacks on them that are be-
/ Ing mades The public would have known
] just what was going on. and would have
been satisfied. and these companies would
have beea able % make substantially the
same profits bar they would have been
made In a fair and honorable and open
manner. Instead OF defyi1g the Iaw they
would have bad TO submit to IL. and the
trSRtc NVNtA AAoW JUST Wl3J t1e4 Nsk~
doing and how thev were doing IT,
fail to see any other way By which
/ the trusts can be controlled and our peo-
| pie protected except By unfair legislation.
whica would crush out business. destroy
composition. make us 8 paternsl govern
meat and. In the end force Us Into So
1 ciaiisn-
Pernfcious Sherman Law.
They talk about amending the sherman
/ law 50 IL will o1ly apply TO unlawful con-
4 E-tf~ - II SO IN
MAINTAIN or increase prices are unlawful.
and fAere cannot be = sawfal business
agreement made under that Law xoa sre
face TO face with this c0E.sAtiou OF s1airs-
feg must either throw that law away. and
4li2w fair agreements Auon< business zaen-
1 Or you must submit 10 bad tines. and poor
! business. sad allox forezgL countries 70
pass You ia the rare
4 s. IL s-sra Sl-,rsffrza5 - - - III.