Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-01-22

- .-'N-.AsAS''
changed much since the days of "Old
Hickory, and then launching into his
subject, spoke as follows:
To-day, as in the days of Andrew
jackson. the Democratic party believes
In equal rights and fair play for all.
We believe that, in this great republic of
ours, every man should have his fair
opportunity his chance in the world.
II he does not avail himself of it, that
is his fault.
1t would take me more time than I
have this evening if should endeayor
to tell you everything that 1 think Dem
ocracy ought to stand for; to go into
Details which Twill not do, but there
are certain great principles which / think
ought to be set forth In our platform
for the coming National and State cam
paigns; that we should all unite on them,
and if we do, am quite sure we shall
win. 5.-
These are my own views Of what 1
think ought to be done, but trust that
our party leaders may believe as do,
and that substantially they may be the
slogan of our coming campaign.
s we hear much to-day from the Repub-
hcan leaders about the large corporations
and trusts and predatory wealth, and they
can Tor their destruction tas though that
would would bring safety to the Republicl, when
the TACT Is, 1t Is like cutting down the
weeds instead Of digging them up by the
roots. 10 my mind. the great source and
cause or these large corporations, and this
great accumulation of wealth In few
, nanas Is due to our system of taxation !;
great breeder of trusts and fortunes. A
tarih which enables men to combine and
Keep out competition, and then feed upon
tne public. Increasing their profits from
year 10 year. This Is the source sand
origin of nearly all these great combina.
ti0ns. -
Theory of Tariff Reversed.
When this government first started, and
until Few years since, the theory Of tile
sariI was that 1t should be laid as to
provide revenue, with taxation as an Incl.
dent This has been changed in the last
few years, SO that to-day your tariff is
made for protection, and the revenue is
only an incident. Thus is the doctrine of
the fathers reversed, and reversed for
wnats For the purpose of enabling these
and form alliances and combinations which
VIII Keep out compeut ton; and sell
cheaper to foreigners than to our own peo-
pie to drive out the small manufacturers,
Iairs that we have to-day. Does any one
think that law can be wise or good which
VIII enable one man to take three or four
hundred millions of dollars out Of manu-.
-Iacturlng business, by combination, form.
ed solely for the purpose Of driving out all
the smaller manufacturers and forming one
gigantic monopoly? Was there ever n
tarif law made in the last twenty years
that was not dictated by the Sugar Trust
The President OF that trust who was one
N I'm t,t,x,, ~,
and rightly stated at Washington that the
tafif was the mother Of trusts, No one
Knew better than he whereof he spoke We
90 not wish to break down; to destroy.
to build up for the benefit Of the many
and not for the few. Our Republican on.
Donents say we must not touch the tariff
this election, and that when 1t is amended
IT. should be by the people. who are Its
sharing the profits of the legaiized rob
berry. This is nice doctrine, which IL an.
piled to everything In the world would
produce some astonishing results. The
swindler who was cheating YOU might say
he should not be interfered with at pres.
ent. and that the laws to protect you from
such swindling should be made In the flu.
tlre by his friends We think 1t well, II
this Is an evil, as claimed, that 1t should
for Its eradication should not be made by
those who are sharing In the plumber. Let
us have an honest deal let the change be
made ut once, and let 1t be made by the
people, So. my fellow Democrats, would
ing issues of the coming campaign.
Would Control Trusts.
would endeavor to control the trusts.
and by trusts l mean any combination of
men or individuals for purposes of bust.
ness, whether under the name of trust.
corporation or a company. There is really
n ! t.
stroying them, as some of the statesmen Of
the day demand. We might just as well
ask to have the business of the world
stopped, for, with the modern way Of
doing business. 1t cannot be done by indi-
viduals entirely, but there must be com.
binations and aggregations of capital to do
what an individual could not do.
Inc hrst way OF controlling these Is
by amending the tariff, as have already
eminent protection in their formation, and
In the conduct of their business.
Then, Instead Of destroying those thar
are left. let us control them and make
them our servants and subservlent to law
US provide that any aggregation Of capital,
whether trust or corporation or com.
pany, by whatever name they call them
selves, intending TO do an Interstate busi-
ness ness. should apply for license to do
business to the Commissioner of Corpora
lions Of the national government, and in
such application they must state where and
when incorporated, the amount of their cap
ital, how it was paid for. who are Its
stockholders and officers, and in fact a
complete history of the formation Of the
company, and Its financial condition Then,
II approved, they should be given permits
sion to do business, but only with the uu-
Outstanding that they make. up state
year, and that they submit all their books
and accounts for examination by commits
sloners appointed by the government. In
other words their entire formation and
the light of publicity. Then, If their con-
duct is wrong, the public will know and
condemn it; II 1t is right, they will APP
prove 1t.
II this law had been in force score
OF years ago, and u the Standard Oil Co.
and the Sugar Trust and the Tobacco Trust
had during these years been obliged to pro-
cure their license under this arrangement !;
mad been compelled to make their state
ments, do you believe for an instant there
them nor would there have been the COM
plants and attacks on them that are be-
Ing made? The public would have known
JUST what was going on, and would have
been satisfied, and these companies would
have been able to make substantially the
same profits, but they would have been
made in fair and honorable and open
manner: Instead of defying the law they
Woulu nave mad to submit to II, and the
people would know just what they were
doing and how they were doing 1t.
fail to see any other way by which
the trusts can be controlled. and our peo-
pie protected, except by unfair legislation,
which would crush out business, destroy
competition, make us a paternal govern
ment and, in the end, force us Into So.
clnlism.
PerniciOus sherman Law.
They talk about amending the Sherman
law SO 1t will only apply to unlawful con-
spiracy; The fact is, all agreements to
maintain or increase prices are unlawful,
and there cannot be a lawful business
agreement made under that law. You are
face to face with this condition of affairs.
You must either throw that law away, and
allow fair agreements among business men,
or you must submit to bad times, and poor
business, and allow foreign countries to
pass You in the race. -
This is also true as applied to the rail-
ways. l have but little Interest In them.
~ an practically out Of theIr manage