The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-07-16

Ment should be extended by executive
and legislative action and by judicial
construction. There is no twilight
zone between the nation and the state
in which exploiting interests can take
refuge from both, and it is as neces-
sary that the federal government
shall exercise the powers delegated
to it as it is that the state govern
ment shall use the authority reserved
to them, but we insist that the fed
eral remedies for the regulation of
interstate commerce and for the pre-
vention OF private monopoly shall be
added to, not substituted for, state
remedies.
Tariff.
1--WE welcome the belated promise
OF tariff reform now offered by the
Republican party in tardy recog-
milton of the righteousness of the
Democratic position on this question,
but the people cannot safely entrust
the execution of this important work
to party which is so deeply obligated
to the highly protected interests as is
the Republican party. We call atten-
ton to the significant fact that the
promised relief was postponed until
after the coming election-an election
to succeed in which the Republican
| party must have that same support
from the beneficiaries of the high
protective tariff as it has always here
tofore receiver from them; and to the
| further fact that during years of unin-
terrupted power, no action whatever
has been taken by the Republican
congress to correct the admittedly ex-
listing tariff iniquities.
I'VE favor an immediate revision of
the tariff by the reduction of import
duties. Articles entering into compe-
tition with trust-controlled products
| should be placed upon the free list,
and material reductions should be
made in the tariff upon the necessar-
les of life, especially upon articles com
peting with such American manufact-
ures as are sold abroad more cheaply
than at home; and graduate reductions
should be made in such other sched-
| dASS az may uC uSCSSSdly W restore
| the tariff to revenue basis.
Existing duties have given to paper
manufacturers shelter behind which
they have organized combinations to
raise the price of pulp and of paper,
thus imposing tax upon the spread
of knowledge.
! We demand the immediate repeal
of the tariff on wood pulp, print paper,
lumber, timber and logs and that these
articles be placed upon the free list
Trusts.
"A private monopoly is indefensible
and intolerable. We, therefore, favor
the vigorous enforcement of the Grim
inal law against guilty trust magnates
and 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 addi-
tional remedies, we specify three:
First, a law preventing a duplication
of directors among competing corpora
tons; second, license system which
will without abridging the right of
each state to create corporations, or
its right to regulate as it will foreign
corporations doing business within
its limits, make it necessary for a
manufacturing or trading corporation
engaged in interstate commerce to
take out a federal license before it
shall be permitted to control as much
as 25 per cent of the product in which
it deals, the license to protect the pub
lie from watered stock and to prohibit
the control by such corporation of
amount Of any product consumed in
the United States and third, a 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
Railroad Regulation.
I'VE assert the right of congress to
exercise complete control over inter
state commerce and the right of each
state to exercise like control over
commerce within its borders.
NC uClIo1u SuSu Cuiol SClllSuI vi
the powers of the interstate commerce
commission as may be necessary to
compel railroads to perform their
duties as common carriers and pre-.
vent discrimination and eXtort con-
fidence.
I'VE favor the efficient supervision
and rate regulation of railroads en-
gagged in interstate commerce. To
this end we recommend the valuation
of railroads by the interstate com
merce commission, such valuation to
take into consideration the physical
value of the property, the original
cost and the cost of reproduction and
all elements of value that will render
the va uation fair and just.
I'VE favor such legislation as will
prevent the railroads from engaging
in business which brings them into
competition with their shippers, also
legislation which will assure such re.
duction in transportation rates as con.
ditions will permit, care being taken