Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-08-20

The attacks by these great corpora
tons On the Administrations actions
have given a wide circulation through
out the country, in the newspapers
and otherwise, by those writer's ana
speakers who, consciously Or uncon-
sciously, act as the representatives Of
predatory wealth-of the wealth &C.
cumulated on a giant scale by ali
forms of iniquity, ranging from the
oppression of wage earners TO unfair
and unwholesome methods Of crushing
out competition, and to defrauding the
public by stock obbing and the man
mutation of securities. Certain
wealthy men of this stamp whose con-
duct should be obhOrrent to every man
Of ordinarily decent conscience, and
who commit the hideous wrong OF
teaching our young men that phenom-
email business success must ordinarily
be based on dishonesty, have, during
the last few months, made it apparent
that they have banded together to
work for reaction. Their endeayor is
{
honestly administer the law, to prevent
any additional legislation which would
check and restrain them, and to Sc
cure, if possible, a freedom from all
restraint which will permit every I'm.
scrupuIOus wrong-doer to do what he
wishes unchecked, provided he has
enough money'-What an arraign-
ment of the predatory interests.
'Ts the presidents indictment true?
! And, if true, against whom was the
indictment directed, Not against the
democratic party.
! Mr.. Taft Endorses The indictment.
Mr.. Taft says that these evils have
crept in during the last ten years. He
declares that, during this time, some
! prominent and influential members of
) the community, spurred by financial
success and in their hurry for greater
wealth, became unmindful of the com
mon rules of business honesty and
fidelity and of the limitations imposed
: by law upon their actlons;" and that
! the revelations of the breaches or
trusts, the disclosures as to rebates
and determinations by railroads, the
accommodating evidence of the viola
| tons of the antitrust laws, by num-
Der of corporations, and the OVerIssue
OF stocks and bonds of interstate rail
roads for the unlawful enriching 0l
! directors and for the purpose of CON
tho npntrpl of the railroads
under one management all these,
he charges, rquickened the conscience
of the people and brought on a moral
awakening
: During all this time | beg to remind
you, republican officials presided in
the executive department, filled the
cabinet, dominated the senate, con
troIled the house of representatives
and occupied most of the federal Judge
ships Four years ago the republican
platform boasttulIy declared that since
1860-with the exception of two years
the republican party had been IN
control Of part or of all the branches
of the federal government; that for
party in a position to either enact or
repeal a law. Having drawn the sala",
les; having enjoyed the honOrs; hav.
ing secured the prestige, let the repub-
Iican party accept the responsibility:
Republican Party Responsible.
Why were these known abuses
permitted to develop? Why have they
not been corrected. If existing laws
are sufficient why have they not Deen
enforced? All of the executive ma
chinery of the federal government is
in the hands of the republican party.
Are new laws necessary? Why have
they not been enacted? With a repub
Iican president to recommend, with q
republican senate and house to carry
out his recommendations, why does
the republican candidate plead for fur
Their time in which to do what SHOULD
have been done long ago, Can Mr..
Taft promise to be more strenuous IN
the prosecution of wrong-dOers than
the present executive? Can he ask for
larger majority in the senate than
his party now has. Does he need
more republicans in the house of repre-
sentatives or a speaker with more I'M
limited authority?
Why No Tariff Reform?
The presidents close friends have
| been promising for several years that
he would attack the inquities of the
tariff We have had intimatiOn that
Mr. Taft was FESTIVE under the de-
mands of the highly protected indus
tries And yet the influence of the
manufacturers. who have for twenty
five years contributed to the republi-
can campaign fund, and who in return
have framed the tariff schedules, has
been sufficient to prevent tariff reform,
AS the present campaign approached,
both the president and Mr.. Taft de
cIared in favor of tariff revision, but
set the date of revision after the cleo
ton. But the pressure brought to
bear by the protected interests has
been great enough to prevent any at
tempt at tariff reform before the cleo
ton: and the reduction promised after
the election is so hedged about with
qualifying phrases, that no one can
estimate with accuracy the sum total
sf tariff reform TO be expected in case
OF republican success. If the past can
be taken as a guide, the republican
Marty will no 90 OhIiCated by camOaIgn