The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-08-25

impress upon the minds of those who
listen to me the absurdity Of the OBJ
ject;or which he raises to the demo-
cratic plan Of discriminating monopo-
lies. He fails to distinguish between
the honest business that makes a
country prosperous. and the brigand
age practiced by private monopolies.
The people have been robbed by the
trusts to the extent of hundreds OF
millions year, and if Mr.. Taft is not
yet conscious of what is going on, and
not yet aroused to the iniquity of these
trusts, how can the country hope for
relief through his election?
Republicanism and Socialism.
1.-The democratic party is the de-
fender of competition and the only
great party which is seeking to re-
store competition. Mr.. Taft has in the
discussion of this question, employed
harsh words instead of argument The
word 'SocialiStic is hurled at the dem
Ocratic party and the democratic plat |
form. Now, as matter of fact, 1t is |
Mr.. Taft's party and not the demo-
cratic party which has given encour /,
agement to socialism, the republican
party has gone half way toward So
cialism in indorsing it's fundamental
principle. The socialist bases his con- !
tention on the theory that competition
is bad. and that an economic advance
is to be found in monopoly The So
cialist, however, wants the public to
have the benefit of the monopoly and, |
therefore, favors government owner
III Af
of production and distribution.
The republican party has gone all
most as far as the Socialist party in |
the economic defense of the monopoly, |
but it permits the benefits of monopo-
ly to be enjoyed. by comparatively /
few men, who have secured q dominant |
influence in the government. / beg to |
call Mr. Tafts attention to the fact |
that the republican party has stimu
lated the growth of socialism in two
ways: First, by the endorsement that
it has given to the theory that trusts |
are a natural and necessary outgroWth |
Of our economic conditions, and, sec
ond, by permitting the development of
a crusade against individualism. If he !
will examine the vote published in the
1900 the republicans polled 7,2O3,244
votes and that the socialists polled
but 1891; in the same almanac he
will find that in 1904 the republicans
cast 7.625,4S9 votes and the socialists
4O2. 2S6. Notwithstanding the fact that |
the republicans have boosted of their
last national victory, their party polled /
but $4,000 more votes that year than !,
four years before. This scarcely more
than covered the natural increase in
the republican portion of the popuIa
ton, while the socialist vote increased !,
more than three hundred per cent and
the increase III votes was almost as
great as the increase in republican
votes.
THE republican leaders have been int
the habit of sneering at the socialists,
while blindly Indifferent to the causes
that have contributed to the growth Of
socialism. The democrats recognize
that socialists are honestly seeking a
remedy for the known abuses admit
ted by Secretary Taft. Democrats dis
sent from the remedy proposed by the
socialists, believing that socialists are
mistaken and that the democratic rem
edy is better but it is time for thought
full people to recognize that Individual
ism can only be retained and defended
by remedial legislation which will re-
move the abuses which have been al
lowed to fasten themselves upon the
country The democratic party, believ-
ing in individualism. addresses itself
earnestly to these abuses, and instead
of ridiculing and maligning the social
lists, invites them, as it does republi-
cans. to examine the democratic plat
form and the remedies proposed there
in. 1t submits its plans to the honest
citizenship of the country, without re-
gard to section or party.
I'm my notification speech l called
attention to three demands made by
our party. 1t asks first, that the gov
eminent shall be taken out of the
hands of special interests. ana restored
to the people as a whole; it asks. sec
ond, for honesty in elections and pub
licity in regard to campaign funds,
that the people may freely choose rep
resentatives in sympathy with them
and pledged to guard their interests;
it asks. third, for such a modification
of our governmental methods as will
make the senate an elective body, and
place the control of the house Of rep
resentatives in the hands of a major
ity of its members. A few days ago,
in discussing the tariff question. 1
dwelt upon the fourth demand made
by our party. namely, that taxation be
just, that the revenue laws be made
for the purpose of raising revenue and
not for the enrichment of a few at the
expense of the many. and that the tar
iff law be supplemented by an income
tax which will more nearly equalize
the governments burdens. Today I;
present another demand made in our
party platform-the demand that the
grip of the trusts be broken, that COM
petition be restored and that the door
of opportunity be opened to the bust
ness men and the voters of the land.
Industrial Despotism.
Industrial independence is neces-
sary to political independence. The
free exercise of the rights of citizen
shin ic impOSSible when few men