Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-10-23

referred to as the beginning OF the
formation Of the trusts to fix the pri-
ces, to control the markets and name
the amounts to take out of the con-
suming public. The industrial and
commercial activities of the nation
were classed in four stages bv the
speaker. First came the partnership
: period, when all We're on an equal
basis. Next came the period of cor
poratioDs, which was practically the
same as the first. The third change
was that which John Sherman fore
the even balance between the producer
and the consumer-the third stage
being the trust. Mr.. La Toilette de-
clared that we were now in the fourth
stage of our industrial and commercial
life, adding that now the different
business combinations were controlling
the business of the country, or rather
combination of combinations he
senator added that during the past six
or seven years we had passed into
this new era and that the industrial
and commercial business of the nation
had passed into the hands of a dozen
men. The speaker said he had been
criticized for making this statement,
but added that if there were any in
the audience who dUubtd the assertion
and would send him postal card with
their names, he would be pleased to
send them ample proof. Mr.. La Fol-
lette said he would go still further
and add that the Standard Oil company
and Rockefeller were the dominant
power in the country today. "Sher
man saw what was coming when re
introduced his antitrust law said
Mr.. La Toilette. Roosevelt saw it;
Bryan saw it, Out of the change the
country has developed leaders to right
the wrong - Tuning his attention
to the leaders of the present day. the
speaker said that Roosevelt, Taft or
Bryan alcne can accomplish nothing
standing alone, but it takes party or
ganizations tu accomplish these pro-
gressive movements. "YOu have to
make your choice uf men in this cam
paign and of party organizations. Mr..
Bryan is a man of no mean ability.
: and he is a student-but back of Bryan
is the Democratic party" 1t was
then shown by the speaker that in or
der to carry uut the advanced ideas uf
Mr.. Bryan, it would be necessary that
both branches of Congress be with
him. In bis attitude toward Bryan,
9 the speaker said he wanted to be fair
and nonpartisan, adding that his
0 views of Bryan are the Same in Nov.
K 1908, as they were IN NOV. 1907, also
q that his views of AldrIchism and Can
q nonism were the same. Mr.. La Fol-
i lette said that he must treat Mr.. Bry-
: an the same now as then, but that it
e was necessary to take the party into
i. consideration as much as the leader.
: The talk Of the senator was then to
show that the Democratic party was
not standing for progressive legisla-
tion, his argument being that the
safety OF the country was in the con-
tinuance in power of the Republican
party In order to carry out these
great reforms, citing what has been
done in Wisconsin through the reform
wing of the Republican, as well as in
any other states. The struggle in
Wisconsin for reform Legislation was
related, going back to the year 1894,
with the statement that ir was not
till 1900, that the views Of the great
ma jority found true and accurate re-
cognition.
The speaker added that it Was not
till 1906 that the Republican party OF
Wisconsin freed itself of the leaders
who served the corporate interests
rather than the people. ''But in my
study of political conditions | have
noticed tendencies in parties. ke
, added, "and as parties are behind the
! leaders we must not overlook these
tendencies There is not much differ
ence in the membership of the two
parties But in the crisis it benoves
US to take the best army and the best
organization. | preached this in Wis
consn and | preached it in Missouri
when l told the R pub leans Of that
. state to join IN supporting Folk.
"We must not apply that reasoning
: to the nation. The elections of fifty
lg years, with two exceptions, show that
l. the Republican is the maturity party.
=. If you lop off the southern wing o.
IS the Democratic party and there are
sc basic facts and sound reasons why you
IL cannot consider that southern wing il
is any emergency, and you will be force.
KS to acknowledge that you can accom-
,n plish murs by lending your support tt
Y the Republican party just as you dit
ne here in Wisconsin and the Republican
lent support to Folk In Missouri.
"a "'There is a fight on in the Repub
of lican party in every state in the north
in No man that is honest can say hefor,
at an audience that there's Lot an ele
fe ment in the party that is aiding tn
,u great evil that confronts US, but
tu thank God, there's a stronger elemen
nc in tho partv fiphtinp It That thi