The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-26
John W. KERN REPLIES
TO ADDRESS Of SHERMAN
Continued from Page 6.

knowledge of human nature which few
men nave equalled and none surpassed.
anu with extraordinary foresight, he eX-
Pessec unaiterable opposition to every
lSiIl OF private monopoly. The student
~ history viii find that upon this sub
as upon other subjects of govern
Suent, the great founder of the Demo-
s sida party took his position upon the
sue OF the whole people and agains.
tnose who seek to make a private use
Oi government, or strive TO secure spe-
ESlai privileges at the expense of the pub
have. in discussing the tariff ques-
Ion, presented one OF our remedies. name
~, tne removal Of the tariff from i'm
goods. This, we believe. would greatly
lessen the extortion practiced by the
trusts and bring about the dissolution
of many monopolistic combines. But we
are not satisfied with the lessening Of
extoruon or with the dissolution of some
of the trusts
Case of Mr.. Dupont.
4 Because the private monopoly is +
indefensible and intolerable the Dem 4
= ocratic party favors its eXtermina- y
ton IL pledges itself to the vigorous +
Z enforcement Of the criminal law =
+ against trust magnates and officials +
4 Ii is impossible for the Republican =
y party to enforce the present criminal y
law against trust officials. these Of 4
y ficials are intimately connected with 4
y
= campaign. Take. for instance, the =
y chairman of the Republican speakers \
y committee, Mr.. Dupont of Delaware y
= He is the defendant in a suit which r
y the government brought and is now y
y prosecuting. He is charged with y
= violation Of the antitrust law. Why 4
y should he be put on the executive y
y committee and then be given con- y
4 troll of the speaking part of the cam 4
4 paign? II you talk to a Republican +
y leader about penitentiary punishment y
T. for offenders, he favors filming the y
corporation on the ground that II is =
impossible TO convict individuals, but when
you urge fines you are told that fines
are unjust to innocent stockholders. We
favor both fine and Imprisonment but we
think II is better TO prevent monOpolies
than to first authorize them to prey upon
the public and then try to punish them for
doing so. Mr. Taft faVOrs control of
trusts instead of determination, but after
years OF experience the people have
learned that the trusts control the gov
eminent
Our platform does not stop with the en-
forcement of the law; 1t demands the en-
actment of such additional legislation as
may be necessary TO make it impossible
for a private monopoly to exist in the
United States.
Will Right Wrongs.
The Democratic party does not content
itself with a definition of the wrong or
with denunciation of IL. It proceeds
to outline remedies. The first is a law
preventing a duplication of directors
among competing corporations. No one
can object to this remedy unless he is in
sympathy with the trusts, rather than
with the people who are victimized by the
trusts. There is no easier way of sitting
competition than to make one board of
directors serve for number of competing
corporations. 1t is not necessary for cor
porstions to enter into an agreement for
ha Int Of fra1 do In No..
can. without violating the law, reach the
same end by electing the same directors.
The second remedy is one upon which l
desire to dwell at some length. We be-
lieve II to be a simple complete and cas-
lily enforced remedy. AS stated in the plat
form IL is:
"A license system which will, without
abridging the right of each state TO cree
ate corporations. or its right to regulate
as 1t will foreign corporations doing bust
ness within its limits. make il necessary
for manufacturing or trading corpora
ton engaged in interstate commerce TO
take out a federal license before II shall
be permitted TO control as much as % per
cent of -he product I'm which il deals. the
license TO protect the public from watered
stock<and to prohibit the control by such
corporation of more than 30 per cent of
the total amount OF any product consumed
in the United States"
Rights of the States.
IL VIII DE notlced IN the tirst place that
carewaS taken by those who drew the plat
form to provide that there should be no
abridgment OF the right or n state TO
create corporations or OF its right to reg
ulate as II will foreign corporations doing
business within Its limits. This plan
therefore, does not IN the least infringe
upon the right of the states 70 protect their
own people. IL simply provides for the
exercise by congress of the power vested
in il to regulate Interstate commerce As
70
the state in which 1t is created. congress
cannot interfere with It: but when the
corporation engages in interstate COM
merce congress Is the only mower that
can regulate its Interstate business.
In proposing the exercise Of this power.
the Democratic platform is not asserting
new doctrine. In January, 1896 a Re
publican house OF representatives adopted
a resolution calling upon Hon. Judson
Harmon. then attorney general of the
vnited States, now the Democratic cam
Nidate for governor in Ohio. to report
what Steps. If any. had been taken 10
enforce the law OF the United States
against trusts. combinations and conspir-
acies in restraint of trade and commerce.
and what further legislation was, in his
opinion. needed 10 protect the people
against the same. On the Sth day of
February he submitted a reply. in which
he described the steps which were being
taken to enforce the law. and recommends
ed the enactment OF further legislation.
i call special attention To the following
words:
Harmon's Opinion.
Congress may make il unlawful to ship |
from one state TO another, in carving
out, or attempting to carry out, the de- !
signs OF such (state) organizations ar !
ucles produced, owned or controlled by !
them or any of their members or agents - |
His recommendation embodies the very
idea which our plan now proposes to car !
~ out. We want to make 10 unlawful !
for corporation TO use the instrument
talities OF interstate commerce for the |
carrying out of a monOpOistic purpose. |
Surely no party can consistently claim to /
be opposed TO private monopolies which /
will permit the interstate railroads TO be /
used to carry out the designs of mo-
nopoly, or which will permit the infer 1
state telegraph lines 10 be used TO in |
crease the power of a private MONOPOLY: |
or. 10 make the case stronger no partx, |
can consistently claim TO be opposed To 1
the trusts which will allow the mails of |
the United States to be used by the trusts |