Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-07-22

nano the passage or statute punish
ing with imprisonment any officer of a
corporation who shall either contribute
on Dehalf OF, or consent to the contri-
button by, corporation of any money
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-
troll of the federal government. for it's
failure to pass the bill introduced in
cation of the names of contributors and
the amounts contributed toward cam
palgn funds: and point to the evidence
OF their insincerity when they sought
by an absolutely irrelevant and impos
sIble amendment to defeat the passage
OF the bill. AS further evidence of
thelr 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
corpora ton contributing to a campaig
.und and any individual from contrib
Utlng an amount above a reasona bic
maximum and providing for the Dubli-
cation before election of all such con-
tributions above a reasonable mini
mum.
Rights OF the States.
Believing. with Jefferson, in "the
support of the state governments in
all their rights as the most competent
administration for our domestic con-
Germs and the surest bulwark against
antl-Republican tendencies" and in
the preservation of the general gov
eminent in it's whole constitutional
vlgor as the sheet anchor of our peace
at home and safety abroad" we are op-
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
winch exploiting interests can take
refuge from both; and it is as neces-
sary that the federal government shall
exercise the powers delegated to 1t as
1t is that the state governments shall
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
tarin reform now affected by Ihe Re-
publican party in tardy recognition of
the righteousness of the Democratic
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
Republican party. We call attention to
the significant fact that the promised
reilef was postponed until after the
SOAAAiAl6o SlGCllOH-dn elecIlOn TO succeed
in which the Republican party must
have that same support from the
beneficiaries of the high protective
tariff as it has always heretofore re-
ceived from them; and to the further
fact that during years of untnterrupt-
ed power no action whatever has been
taken by the Republican congress to
correct the admittedly existing tariff
iniquities.
We favor immediate revision Of the
tarin by the reduction of import duties.
inf finV ],
products should be
placed upon the free list, and material
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
such other schedules as may be neces-
basis.
Existing duties have given to the
manufacturers of paper a shelter be-
hind which they have organized COM
binations to raise the price of pulp and
OF paper, thus imposing tax upon the
We demand the Immediate repeal of
I the tarln on pulp print paper. lumber.
be placed upon the free list.
Trusts.
A private monopoly is indefensible
and intolerable. We. therefore favor
the. vigorous enforcement of the Grim
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 duplication of directors
among competing corporations; second,
a license system which will, without
abridging the right of each state to
create corporations, or it's right to reg
ulate as it will foreign corporations
doing business within it's limits, make
1t 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 25 per cent. of the
product in which it deals, the license to
protect the public from watered stock
and to prohibit the control by such cor
poration of more than SO per cent of
the to total amount am Of any product CON
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 to exercise like control over COM
merce within it's borders
We demand such enlargement of the
powers or the interstate commerce COM
mission as may be necessary to compel
railroads to perform their duties as
COHliIlOH curriers' ana prevent diScrim-
ination and eXtortion.
We favor the efficient supervision and
rate regulation of railroads engaged
in interstate commerce. and 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-
dtion with their shippers, also legislation
winch Will assure such reduction in
transportation rates as conditions will
permit. care being taken to avoid reduc-
tons 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 it the initia-
tive with reference to rates and trans
portation charges put into effect by the
railroad companies, and permitting the
interstate commerce commission on its
own initiative to declare a rate illegal
and as being more than should be