The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-25
lent manifested in his message of last

~ Hlo ROi "
trolled determines the power of tn,
trust for harm, it has seemed best Il
use proportionate control as the basi.
of this plan. n % per cent. has beer
fixed arbitrarily as the proportion "a
which the line should be drawn. =
8 Probably not ! per cent. of the cor.
porations engaged in interstate com
merce would be required to AXE out a
license under this p~lan-possibly not
one-half of 1 per cent-and yet what
a projections the remaining 80 per cent.
| would find in the law requiring a
license in the case of the larger
| onesi =
One of the restrictions suggested is
that such licensed corporations be COM
PEELED TO sell to all purchasers in all
parts OF the country on the same erlns
after making due allowance for cost OF
transportation. Mr.. Taft attacks this
restriction as utterly impracticable."
"In an Indefinite Sort of way"
If such an act is now unlawful. Why
is he SO frightened at a plan which
gives to thu mall competitor this very
protection? The trouble with the pres
ent law Is that ID does not restrain the
evils mt which it is aimed. The plan
pIOpOStd III Tue DtI1OcIdIlt DldIIOfiH
brings the corporation under the sur
VIGILANCE of the government when it
has reached the danger point. ana
thereafter subjects il to Federal scru-
tiny. The present law simply prohibits
it In an indefinite sort of way. and
hon leaves the officers of the law to
the country and hunt up viola
tons of the laws provisions. Mr.. Taft
10 lIndttl4y nlutt,n1 nt tIf, ,A,11c
or else he entirely fails to comprehend
the details of the plan.
When a corporation controls fifty per
cent. OF the total product, it supplies
forty millions OF people with that
product. Is not that enough? Mr..
Taft's objection to this limitation can
hardly be characterized as statesman
like.
n TO what well known methods
does he refer? To the underselling of
competitors in one section while the
price is maintained else where? And
yet this is the very thing which we
propose to remedy. but he proceeds to
denounce Il remedy as absurd and
The trouble with Secretary
Taft II that he spends 40 much time
trying to discover reuse for inaction
In trust matters that lac has none left
for the consideration Of effective RENEE
lies. He spends more time uttering
warnings against remedies proposed
than he does in pointing out the evils
to be remedied or I'm suggesting reme-
dies = y
The business men of the country
felt the pressure OF the trusts. !
The retailer has been compelled 10 en-
into contracts which restrict his
management OF his own affairs; he has
the terms Of sale and payment
to his disadvantage, and he
mas been forced To carry more and more
OF the risks of trade. He is convinced
there are no good trusts and that
his only safety is in the Democratic
plan, Which lays the axe at the root Of
he tree. = q
"Misunderstands or Misrepresepts."
Mr. Taft either misunderstands or
the democratic position
n regard TO the determination of the
of private monopoly. In his
notification speech he says:
Mr., Roosevelt would compel the
trusts TO conduct their business in a
lawful manner and ecure the benefits
Of their operation and maintenance of
he prosperity OF the country of which
hey are an important part. while Mr..
Bryan would extirpate and destroy the
sntire business in order to stamp out
he evils which they have practised."
Would it "eXtirpate and destroy"
business to require these licensed cor
10 do business on an honest
oasis and to be reasonable in their
methods? Would not the bene-
1t accruing TO the niuety-nine small
'oIporations thus protected from con-
'cienceless methods be enough to off
let any evil effects that might follow
rom such restraint Of a few big cor
'~ofations? IL business 40 dependent
pom dishonesty and unfasrness that Ii
would he "extirpated and destroyed" II
norais were introduced into its Would
t "extirpste and Destroy business to
mt this limitation upon the greed of a
corporations? '
The Democratic parry is the defender
II competition and the only great party
Which Is seeking to restore competition.
DR.. Taft has. In the discussion of this
employed harsh words instead
+ argument. The word ''socialistic" is
hurled at the Democratic party and
he Democratic platform. Now. as a
OF Iact, 1t is MI. RATS party
nd no the Democratic party which
as given encouragement to Socialism,.
While professing 90 abhor Socialism,
he Republican part. has gone half
'ay toward Socialism In iud0rsing its
fundamental principle.
The Republican party has gone al
most as far as the Socialist party in
economic defense of the monopoly,
mt IL permits the benefits of monopoly
o be enjoyed by a comparatively few
who have secured a dominant in
uence in the government. -"
TRUSTS Grip Must BE Broken"
Today | present another demand
nade in our party platform-the de-,
that the grip Of tho trusts he
roken, that competition he restored
nd that the door of opportunity be
pened TO the business men and tho
oilers Of the land.
Industrial independence is necessary
D political independence. The free ex-
rRlaA nf fkA pfotsf. sf .I~nahI.. Is