Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-09-08

sis, that under recent Republican admin
istration the people have ruled without
let or hindrance.
The press of the country. without re-
gard to party, united in demanding re-
lief. The people of the republic unani-
mously seconded the demand. The Presi-
dent of the United States threw the in
fluence of his great Office in favor of the
demand of the press and the people. But
all without avail The dominant forces
within the Republican party had estab-
liShed in the lower house of Congress a
parliamentary condition, in the interest
of monopoly, under which the sole power
to determine whether a measure should
be allowed to become a law or not was
lodged in the Speaker of that body and
his committee on rules, and by the fat of
that one man the will of the press, the
people and the President was set at
naught.
Will any intelligent man claim that
there is or has been any substantial diver
sity of opinion in this country on the
question as TO whether the tariff duty on
wood pulp used in the manufacture of
paper should be reduced or removed? II
this case the tariff tax operated for the
benefit of the paper trust alone, allowing
that combine TO levy millions of tribute
each year upon the newspapers of the
country and their readers.
Behold the spectacle On one side So
100000 of free people demanding legisla-
ton TO right an admitted wrong. On the
other side a few men engaged in public
plunder, aided by the dominating power
within the Republican party, represented
by the presiding officer of the once popu-
lar branch of Congress. And the plum
derers and these unfaithful public SER
wants prevail over the people of this great
republic In this instance did the people
rule?
Denounces Cannon's Rules.
Mr.. Kern then charged that Congress
man Babcock's bill TO reduce the tariff on
steel and iron in 1902 was killed by the
same power exerted by the Speaker In
the same session the requests of labor
were ignored.
The question, "Shall the people rule? p
is one which demands the serious and
earnest consideration of all men who are
interested in the perpetuation of our in
situations 1t must be apparent to all
who have followed the course of legisla-
ton during the past few years that there
is a power within the Republican party
determined that the people shall not rule.
That power has manifested itself when
ever effort has been made to check the
destructive work of unlawful combine
ton, reduce the oppressive tariff tax, or
enact any legislation looking toward the
equalization or tightening of the burdens
resting upon the people.
That dominant power which now guides
and directs the Republican party has, on
many occasions defed the President in
cases where he has, on demand of the
masses, made sporadic efforts in their be-
half. In some instances he has persuaded
this handful of leaders to compromise on
their Own terms with the S0,O0OO0O peo-
pie whom he assumed to represent, but in
most cases he has been absolutely power
less.
Mir. Kern denounced the Dingley tariff
and favored a tariff sufficient only for the
needs of the government.
No War on Capital.
Mr.. Kern said the President had rallied
against swollen fortunes" as menacing
to the public welfare, and while the Re
publican platform proposed no cure for
the evil the Democratic platform offered
remedy in favoring legislation to cut off
the streams of money flowing into the
Golfers of the trusts. On the other hand,
Mr.. Kern said:
1T has no war to wage on capital. 1t
has no quarrel with corporations honestly
capitalized to carry on a legitimate bust
ness according to law. 1t will encourage
the investment of capital in the develop
ment of the country and protect it when
invested.
1T will draw sharp line between law
full business lawfully conducted and I'M
lawful business or business carried on in
defiance of law and the rights of the pub
lie, protecting the one and protecting So
ciety from the other"