Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-09-10

the people-each government to act
within it's constitutional sphere. Our
platform demands that federal legisla-
tion be added to- not substituted for,
state legislation.
The predatory corporations have
| taken advantage of the dual character
of our government and have tried to
hide behind state rights when prose-
cuted in the federal courts and behind
| the interstate commerce clause of the
! constitution when prosecuted in the
state courts.
There is no twilight zone between tho
nation and the state in which the ex-
plotting interests can take refuge from
both. There is no neutral ground
where, beyond the jurisdiction of either
sovereignty, the plunderers of the pub
| lie can find a safe retreat. AS long as
a corporation confines its activities to
the state in which 1t was created, it is
subject to state regulation only: but as
soon as 1t invades interstate commerce
| it becomes amenable to federal laws as
we'll as to the laws of the state which
created it and the laws of the states in
which it does business.
How strict can these laws be? Just
as strict as may be necessary for the
protection of the public
| Our platform outlines the regulation
| deemed necessary, and the regulation
| is specifically set forth in order that
our opponents many not be able to
| scare the public by predicting hurtful
| legislation. Our platform, unlike the
Republican platform, says what 1t
means and means only what it says.
! A distinction is drawn between the
railroads and other corporations. Tho
railroad, being a quasi-public corpora
| ton and, as such, being permitted to
| exercise a part of the sovereignty of
the state, is subject to regulation at
the hands of both the nation and the
state, but this regulation is intended,
| not to cripple the railroads but to in
| crease their efficiency. The people at
large are as much interested as the
stockholders are in the successful ope-
/ ration of the railroads. Their own pc
cuniary interests as well as their sense
of justice would restrain them from
doing anything that would impair the
| road or reduce its efficiency. Tho
the payment of wages sufficient to
command the most intelligent service,
! for life as well as property is in the
| hands of those who operate the trains,
| guard the switches and keep the track
| in repair.
Would Make Distinction
The Democratic party would distin-
| guish between those railroad owners,
| directors and managers who, recogniz-
| ing their obligation to the public, earn
their salaries by conscientious devotion
to the work intrusted to them, and
| those INSCRIPTIONS "Napoleons of
| finance" who use railroads as mere
pawns in a great gambling game with
| out regard to the rights of employees
| or to the interests of the patrons. 1t
| is in the interest of honest railroading
and legitimate investment that the
| Demo cratic party seeks to ascertain
1
critics and to prevent for the future
the watering of stock and the issue of
| fictitious capitalization; and 1t is in
| the interest of both the railroads and
| the public that it seeks only such re-
! auctions in transportation rates as can
| be made without wage reduction, with
out deterioration in the service and
without injustice to legitimate invest
ments. The Democratic party insists
that in the matter Of regulation of
railroads both the state governments
and the federal government shall act
UP to and yet within their powers; for
nothing else will restore the confidence
and good will that ought to exist be-
tween the railroads and the people. In
dealing with manufacturing and trad
| ing corporations the Democratic party
draws a distinction between those cor
porations-and they constitute the
| great majority of all the manufactur-
ing and trading corporations-%hich
are engaged in a legitimate effort to
supply what the consumers need, and
| the very few corporations which are
seeking by constituencies methods to
| take advantage of the public on the
| one hand while on the other hand they
bankrupt competitors. Cypress the pro-
ducers of raw materials and deal ar
bitrarily with their employees. 1t en-
deavors to protect the innocent cor
porations by visiting punishment upon
those corporations which are guilty OF
infractions of the moral and the statute
law. Here too, our platform is specihc
and no one can use it's language to
frighten any business man whose
transactions are fair and whose income
is honestly earned.
No one can contrast the plain,
STRAIGHTFORWARD declarations of our
party with the vague and ambiguous
utterances of the Republican leaders
and the Republican candidate without
recognizing that our appeal is to the
Judgment and good sense of the voters
who desire justice for themselves and
insist upon Justice being done by 9th
ers. Our party, if intrusted with the
mower. will remedy the abuses which
have grown up under Republican rule,
and vet remedy the abuses with due
regard to constitutional limitations and
without injury to any legitimate bust
ness interest.