The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-07-07
THEODORE A. BELL
ARRAIGNS 6. 0. P.
IN OPENING SPEECH
of America more of the corveniences,
comforts and luxuries of life.
Enemy to Corporations.
Continued From Page One.)

pOfdtlOn, scattered wealth is brought
together and given a driving force
that it would not otherwise possess,
great enterprises are thereby under
taken and undeveloped resources of
the country added to the wealth of the
world.
No rational man can be opposed to
corporations as such, and the asser-
ton that the Democratic party is wag-
ing an indiscriminate war against this
form of transacting business has no
foundation in fact. 1t is the abuse,
only of corporate power that we seek
TO eliminate.
Viewed in the light of a great moral
question. the control of corporation
should remain a question of common
concern rather than a political one,
but the shameful complacence of the
Republican party in permitting its
forces to be controlled and operated
by the most offending corporations of
the country throws the problem into
the political arena and cOmpels the
public to choose between the Demo
cratic party that will, and the Repub-
lican party that will not place some
restrictions on incorporated greed.
We are now confronted with the in
quiry what assurance has the Repub-
lican party given that it will use the
forces at its command to restore the
people to their rights? In its Chicago
platform it did not make even a de-
cent pretense of championing the peo-
pies cause, and the proceedings of
that convention are glaringly insin-
cere 1t was noted that two elements
were present in that gathering, one
with sufficient votes to adopt plat
form and nominate its candidate for
president, the other powerful enough
to unwrite that platform and tie the
hands of the nominee. The distin-
gushing feature of the Chicago plat
form is its oft repeated promise to do
a lot of things that the Republican par
ty has heretofore failed to do.
We have the following Republican
confession of guilt:
I'VE did not revise the tariff
I'VE did not amend the antitrust
laws to secure greater effectiveness in
the prosecution of criminal monopo-
lies"
We did not add a single line to the
interstate commerce law, giving the
federal government supervision over
the issuance of stocks and bonds by
interstate carriers"
I'VE did not enact currency meas
ure that would mitigate the evils OF a
financial panic, such as has recently
Frustrated the country under a Repub-
lican administrations
I'VE did not limit the opportunities
for abusing the writ of Injunction"
1--WE did not establish postal savings
banks"
I'VE did not establish a bureau of
mines and mining
I'VE did not admit into the union
the territories of New Mexico and Ar1-
IONA as separate states
The last congress was in session
when innumerable banking institu-
tions, preferring a holiday to funer-
al closed their doors and filled the
minds Of millions of depositors with
anxiety and fear. The sentiment In
favor of postal savings banks, which
had been steadily growing in TINS
country became almost universal dur
ing the recent panic. So inslstent be-
came the voice of the people that the
president sent a special message 10
congress urging the establishment OF
nostal savings banks where the earn
ings Of our people might be safely de-
posited under the direct control and
responsibility of the federal govern
ment, and where no peculating bank
cashier or gambling board of directors
could eat up the savings of years.
The hostility of the Republican or
sanization toward popular measures
of reform is illustrated in its refusal
to establish postal savings banks, and
the country can safely accept this as
a sample of what a Republican con
eress, controlled by special interests
will do to every other measure intend
ed for the peoples relief.
The Chicago platform points WITH
pride to the passage of child LABOR
| law for the District of Columbia. we
| ioin in whatever fluctuations are due
from the enactment of any measure
| that will keep our children out OF the
sweat shops, but it is impossible en-
tirely to wipe out the evil OF chile
| labor by penalizing the employment
of children of tender years. Let the
| republican party go further than the
enactment of penal laws and in the
name of humanity use its vast ener
| gies for the removal of the condition:
that are forcing our children into the
| labor market.
The most palpable instance OF the
insincerity of the Chicago convention
is found in its declaration RESPECTING
the issuance of iniunctions. 1t would
have been entitled TO more respect i
it had omitted all mention of the sub
! iect. At session after session of con
gress labor has pleaded for relief from
the abuse of iniunctious. but its ap
peals have fallen on deaf ears an,
there has been no indication that re
medical legislation of any characte
would be enacted. The oligarchy il
the house and senate has decided tina
nothing shall be done 10 weaken an,
| advantages that corporations hav,
gained in labor disputes.
Surely this great question. probabl,
the most conspicuous of all question
now before the pe00la ought m n,