The San Francisco call., 1908-08-26

trust law.
OUTLINE FOR REMEDIES
The democratic party does not con-
tent itself with a definition of the
wrong or with administration of it. 1t
proceeds to outline remedies. The nrst
IS a law preventing duplication or
directors among competing corpora
tions. No one can object to this rem
edy unless he is in sympathy with the
trusts, rather than with the people
who are victimized by the trusts.
The second remedy is one upon whleh lS,n
desire to dwell at some length. We
believe it to be simple, complete and
easily enforced remedy. AS stated IN
the platform it is:
"A license system which will, with
out abridging the right of each state
to create corporations, or it's right 10
regulate as 1t viii foreign corporations
doing business within its limits, make
1t necessary for a manufacturing or
/ trading corporation engaged in inter-
state commerce to take out federal
license before it shall be permitted to
control much as % per cent of the
product in which it deals, the license
| TO protect the public from watered
stock and to prohibit the control by
such corporation of more than 90 per
cent of the total amount of any product
consumed in the United States"
LICENSE SYSTEM URGED
If it is conceded that congress has
the power to prevent the shipment or
goods from one state to another when
spiracy against trade and commerce
then the only question is as to the
means to be employed to prevent such
shipment. The license system presents
an easy way of regulating such cor
porations as need federal regulation.
The law can prohibit the doing of a
thing and impose a penalty for the
violation of the law, but experience
has shown that it is very dificult to
gather up evidence from all sections
Of the United States and prosecute a
} II fc
that although the Sherman antitrust
law has been in force for 1S years. no
trust magnate has been sent to the
penitentiary for violating the law al
though in few cases the court has
| found corporations guilty ola VIOLA
tion of the law. In the endorsement
/ OF penalty the government must seek
/ the defendant; by the use of the license
system the corporation is compelled to
seek the government.
BRYAN STATES ISSUE s
Let the issue be made plain; let the
! distinction be accurately drawn; let
1 the respective positions of the parties
/ be fully understood The democratic
party does not oppose all corporations;
on the contrary, it recognizes that the
corporation can render an important
party wants to employ every instru-
mentality that can be employed for the
advancement of the common good; but
the democratic party draws the line at
the private monopoly, and declares that
a private monopoly cannot be justified
on either economic or political grounds
From an economic standpoint
monopoly is Objectionable. The moment
corporation secures a practical mo-
nopoly in the production or sale of any
article certain evils appear which out
weigh any good that can come from
large production or control Wherever
private monopolies exist certain IRE
sistible tendencies manifest themselves.
First, il raises prices-this is the first
Of for ir1Pr inc of
profits Then, in proportion as 1t be-
! comes the only purchaser of the raw
material. it reduces the price of the
raw material and the producer OF that
raw material. having no other market,
must accept the price offered. In this
way. too, the profits of the corporation
are increased. Third, a reduction On
the quality of the product affords an
| opportunity for increasing profits
Fourth reduction in wages follows
wherever conditions will permit.
DEFENDER OF COMPETITION
The democratic party is the defender
of competition and the only great party
which is seeking to restore competi-
/ tion. Mr.. Taft has, in the discussion
of this question, employed harsh words
instead of argument. The word so
cialistic" is hurled at the democratic
party and the democratic platform.
Now. as matter of fact, it is Mr.. Taft's
party and not the democratic party
which has given encouragement to so
cialism. While protesting to abhor So
cialism the republican party has gone
| half way toward socialism in indorsing
! its fundamental principle The social
ist bases his contention on the theory
| that competition is bad, and that an
economic advance is to. be found in
MONOPOLY The socialist however
wants the public to have the benefit
of the monopoly and therefore favors
| government ownership and operation
of all the means of production and dis
The republican party has gone al
most as far as the socialist party in
the economic defense of the monopoly,
to be enjoyed by comparatively few
men. who have secured a dominant in
| huence in the government.
OBJECTION TO SOCIALISM
The republican leaders have been in
| the habit of sneering at the socialists,
while. blindly indiffeTent to the causes
i that have contributed to the growth Of
/ socialism, The democrats recognize
] that socialists are honestly seeking a
remedy for the known abuses ad-
mitted by Secretary Taft. Democrats
dissent from the remedy proposed by
the socialists, believing that socialists
are mistaken and that the democratic
remedy is better, but 1t is time for
thoughtful people to recognize that in
1 dividualism can only be retained and
defended by remedial legislation which
/ will remove the. abuses which have
been allowed to fasten themselvs upon
/ the country. The democratic party,
believing in individualism. addresses
J itself earnestly TO these abuses, and
instead of ridiculing and maligning the
i socialists. invites them, as 1t does re-
publicans, to examine the democratic
platform and the remedies proposed
therein. It submits its plans to the
honest citizenship of the country with
out regard to section or party.
DEMANDS OF DEMOCRATS
In my notification speech called at
tention to three demands made by our
party. 1t asks. first, that the govern
ment shall be taken out of the hands
Of special interests and restored to the
people as a whole; it asks, second, for
honesty in elections and publicity in
regard to campaign funds, that the
people may freely choose representa-
tives in sympathy with them and
pledged to guard their interests; II
/ 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 MAJ
jority of its members. A few days ago
! in discussing the tariff question, ]
dwelt upon the fourth demand made by
our party, namely, that taxation be
: h1f he