The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-08-25
Democratic Leader. at Kern Notification
Discusses Great Question of Corporation
Control, DisCIoses the Weakness of the
Republican Position~and Shows How
Government May Cope With
This Great Evil


very conveatipn that spoke in its plat
form of the administration as "a wise
and fearless one was composed large
ly of the senators and members Of con-
gress who boldly opposed every effort
to free the people from the clutches OF
the favor seeking corporations.
"The republican platform says that
experience has shown that the effec-
tiveness of the antitrust law could be
strengthened by amendments which VIII
give the federal government greater
supervision and control over, ana
greater publicity as to, the manage
ment of those interstate commerce
corporations which have the power
and opportunity to affect monopolies.
That is all. No pointing out of RENE
dies: no outlining Of a plan for more
effective legislation-simply a gener-
al statement that promises nothing IN
particular And Mr.. Taft's speech OF
acceptance is even weaker than the
platform. He gives no evidence of
having studied the question or of com
pretending the iniquities of monopo-
ly. You look in vain in his notification
speech for any sign Of Indignation at
what the trusts have been doing or for
evidence of zeal in their prosecution.
He has, for several years, been the in
innate official companion of the presi-
dent. but he has caught none of the
fire which the president manifested in
his message of last January.
"If in the presence Of an aroused
of icrf1
the republican party contents itself
with a colorless platform on this sub
ject. what can we expect in the way
of activity when the exigencies of the
campaign are passed? If, when Mr..
Taft is appealing to the Roosevelt re-
publicans, his discussion Of the sub
ject is so lifeless and his manner so
apologetic and apathetic, what reason
have we to expect either vigor in the
enforcement of the law or earnestness
in the search for additional remedies?
In his speech delivered about
year ago announcing his candidacy Mr..
Taft suggested that the present law
be so amended as to permit reasonable
restraint of trade. Such an amend
ment would be as absurd as an amend
ment to the law against burglary Inn
iting the law to cases in which more
than two burglars entered the house
at one time, or took more than hait
they found In his notification speech
he suggests national Incorporation
a remedy which would make condl-
tions worse because without adding TO
the roWer of congress to prevent mo-
nopolies. it would deprive the states OF
the power to protect their own people
Now let me contrast the democratic
platform with the republican platform.
Nowhere is the difference in the
method of dealing with questions more
manifest. Our platform says:
"a private monopoly is indefensl-
BILE and intolerable. We therefore favor
the vigorous enforcement of the Grim
inal law against guilty trust magnates
ard officials, and demand the enact
ment of such additional legislation as
may be necessary to make it impossi-
BILE for a private monopoly to exist In
the United States. Among the addl-
tional remedies, we specify tnree'
First. a law preventing a duplication
of directors among competing corpora
tions: second, a license system which
viii without abridging the right OF
each state to create corporations or its
right to regulate as it will foreign cor
porations doing business within its
limits make it necessary for manu-
featuring or trading corporation en-
gagged in interstate commerce to take
out a federal license before it shall
be permitted to control as much as %
per cent of the product in which IL
deals. the license to protect the pub
lie from watered stock and to prohibit
the control by such corporation or
more than so per cent Of the total
amount of any product consumed in
the United States; and, third, law
compelling such licensed corporations
to sell to all purchasers in all parts
of the country on the same terms, after
making due allowance for cost OF
transportation
Here is a plain, candid statement
of the party's position. There is no
uuibbling, no evasion. no ambiguity.
a private monopoly is indefensible.
and intolerahle 1t is bad-bad in
principle and bad in practice. NO
apology can be offered for it. and no
neople should endure it. Our party's
position is entirely in harmony with
the rosition of Jefferson With
knowledge of human nature which few
po..n have eoualled and none sur