Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-07-16

campaign. In order that this practice
shall be stopped for all time. we de-
mand the passage OF statute punish
ing with imprisonment any officer of a
corporation who shall either contribute
ON behalf OF, or consent to the contri-
button by, a corporation of any money
or thing of value to be used in further
ing the election of a president or vice.
president of the United States or of any
member of the congress thereof.
We denounce the action of the Re-
publican party, having complete con-
sroi OF the federal goyernment, for its
failure to pass the bill introduced in
the last congress to compel the publ
cation OF the names of contributors and
the amounts contributed toward cam
paign FUNDS, and point to the evidence
or their insincerity when they sought
by an absolutely irrelevant and impos-
sible amendment to defeat the passage
OF the bill. AS further evidence of
their intention to conduct their cam
paign in the coming contest with vast
sums OF money wrested from favor
seeking corporations, we call attention
TO the fact that the recent Republican
national convention at Chicago refused
when the plank was presented to it to
declare against such practices.
We pledge the Democratic party TO
the enactment OF law preventing any
corporation contributing to a campaign
,und and any individual from contrib
utlng an amount above a reasona be
maximum and providing for the publi-
cation before election of all such con-
tributions above reasonable mini
mum.
Rights OF the States.
Believing, with Jefferson, in 1.-The
support or the state governments in
all their rights as the most competent
administration for our domestic con-
Germs and the surest bulwark against
anti-Republican tendencies" and in
the preservation of the general gov
ernment in its whole constitutional
Nigor as the sheet anchor of our peace
at home and safety abroad" we are OPP
posed to the Capitalization implied in
made, that the powers of the govern
ment should be extended by judicial
construction. There is no twilight zone
between the nation and the state in
which exploiting interests can take
refuge from both; and 1T is as neces-
sary that the federal government shall
exercise the powers delegated to Il as
1t Is that the state governments shaR
use the authority reserved to them. but
we insist that federal remedies for the
regulation of interstate commerce and
Tor the prevention of private monop-
oily shall be added to, not substituted
FOR, state remedies.
Tariff.
We welcome the belated promise OF
tarln reform now affected by the Re-
publican party in tardy recognition of
the Righteousness of the Democratic
position on this question; but these
people cannot safely intrust the exc
cution of this important work to a
party which is so deeply obligated to
the highly protected interests as is the
Repu6llcan party. We call attention to
relief was postponed until after the
coming election--an election to succeed
in which the Republican party must
nave that same support from the
beneticiaries of the high protective
tariff as IL has always heretofore re-
ceived from them; and to the further
fact that during years of uninterrupt-
ed power no action whatever has been
taken by the Republican congress to
correct the admittedly existing tariff
iniqufties
We favor immediate revision of the
tariff by the reduction of import duties.
Articles entering into competition with
trust-controlled products should be
reductions should be made in the tariff
upon the necessaries of life, especially
upon articles competing with such
American manufactures as are sold
abroad more cheaply than at home; and
graduate reductions should be made in
such other schedules as may be neces-
sary to restore the tariff to revenue
basis.
Existing duties have given to the
manufacturers of paper shelter be-
hind which they have organized com
binations to raise the price of pulp and
of paper thus imposing a tax upon the
spread of knowledge.
We demand the immediate repeal Of
the tariff on pulp print paper, lumber,
timber and logs and that these articles
be placed upon the free list.
Trusts.
A private monopoly is indefensible
and intolerable. We therefore, favor
inal law against guilty trust magnates
and officials. and demand the enactment
of such additional legislation as may
be necessary to make it impossible for
a private monopoly to exist in the Uni
ted States Among the additional rem
edies we specify three: First, a law
preventing a duplication of directors
among competing corporations; second,
a license system which will, without
abridging the right of each state to
create corporations or its right to reg
ulate as it will foreign corporations
doing business within it's limits, make
it neceSSady for a manufacturing or
trading corporation engaged in inter-
state commerce to take out a federal
license before it shall be permitted to
control as much as 20 per cent. of the
product in which it deals, the license to
and to prohibit the control by such cor
poration of more than so per cent. of
the total amount of any product con
a law compelling such licensed corpo-
ration to sell to all purchasers in all
parts of the country on the same terms.
after making due allowance for cost of
transportation.
Railroad Regulations.
We assert the right OF congress to
exercise complete control over inter-
state commerce and the right of each
state to exercise like control over COM
merce within it's borders.
We demand such enlargement of the
powers of the interstate commerce com
railroads to perform their duties as
common carriers and prevent discrim-
nation and extorti9n; nou,s,o.s
rate regulation of railroads engaged
in interstate commerce, ana TO this
end we recommend the valuation of
railroads by the interstate commerce
commission, such valuation to take into
consideration the physical value of the
property, the original cost, cost OF pro-
duction and all elements of value that
will render the valuation made fair and
just.
We favor such legislation as will pro-
hibit the railroads from engaging in
business which brings them into compe-
tition with their shippers, also legislation
which will assure such reduction IN
transportation rates as conditions will
permit care being taken to avoid reduc-
lions that would compel a reduction of
wages, prevent adequate service or do
injustice to legitimate investments. We
heartily approve the laws prohibiting
the pass and the rebate, and we favor
any further necessary legislation to re-
strain, control and prevent such abuses.
We favor such legislation as will in
crease the power of the interstate com
merce commission giving to II the initia-
tive with reference to rates and trans
portation charges put into effect by the
interstate commerce commission on its
own initiative to declare a rate Illegal
and as being more than should be
charged for such service. That the pres
ent law relating thereto Is inadequate by
reason of the fact that the interstate
commerce commission is without power
to fix or investigate rate until COM
plant has been made to II by the shipper
We further declare that all agreements
of traffic or other associations of rail-
way agents affecting interstate rates,
service or classification shall be unlaw-
full unless filed with and approved by
the Interstate commerce commission.
We favor the enactment of a law CIV
ing to the interstate commerce commits
sion the power to inspect proposed rail-
road tariff rates or schedules before they
shall take effect, and, II they be found
to be unreasonable. to initiate an adjust
ment thereof.
Banking.
The panic OF 1907 coming without any
Legitimate excuse, when the Republican
party had for decade been in complete
control of the federal government, fur