The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-03

wrongs. 1t does not think that stolen
property can be so long retained as to
put good title in the thief Demand
ing the repeal of all laws which are
calculated and which have given GER
tain classes of citizens an undue and
an unjust advantage over other citi-
zens, it pledges itself 10 not retaliate
by the enactment of like legislation.
1t realizes that dishonesty is not a
mark OF condition in life. but rather,
the mark OF the man. The poor man
may be honest or dishonest; so, TOO.
may the rich man.
1t believes that the rich arscal. if
such a one exists. ought to be hunted
out prosecuted and punished. 1t,
however believes that such punish
ment rests with the courts and with
the courts alone. 1t depreciates. there
fore the general assault upon the thrift
enterprise and business interests Of
this country. 1t views with alarm
the general assaults which have been
made upon capital without regard to
the question as to whether the indi-
| vidual capitalist is honest or dishonest
| 1t can not help thinking that unless
| the man who is believed TO be dishon-
est is specifically pointed out a gen
eral assault upon the theory that all
| capital is dishonest, is calculated to
do more harm than good to the people
of this country Utopia is not here.
1t is not likely soon to be. We are
! confronted by conditions and not by
! theories.
One of our principal arguments
against the trust has been that it de
stroyed the individuality of the
young American; that it prevented him
! from jumping into the arena of life
and making his own fight with the
! weapons with which God had endowed
! him. If this criticism is a just one,
! and it seems to be. then the indiScrim-
! mate assault upon dishonesty among
men of money, is wholly unjustified,
This condition of affairs has arisen
by reason of the fact that in this as in
all other matters, we have lost sight
of the different branches of our gov
eminent. So long as executives
imagine that they have a right to try
the motives of men and yet are pow
erless to enforce their DEGREES, that
long this state of affairs will continue
Whenever we get executives in this
country who have constitutional
knowledge enough to know that the
place to try the rascal is in court. and
courage enough 10 put him upon his
trial there, that soon will we have con-
ude, good order and prosperity of the
people of this country.
Iniquities of Trusts.
All except those who were its benefi-
Charles, and by all, l mean so per cent
of the people of this state are agreed
as to the iniquities of the present trust
system, whether it be one which arts
IS ont of the natural condition of the
product itself or whether it be one
which has been created by law. Both
parties have been declaring against
this economic condition for many
years last past, yet nothing to speak of
has been done. True, an injunction
against the beef trust has been issued
but my steak has grown tougher as
the price has gone up; true the Stand
ard Oil company has been fined, but
the price of coal-oil and gasoline has
been advanced sufficiently so that out
of the united purchases of the people
that fine has already been paid. | dc
not pretend to be distinguished pOlit-
zeal economist; | am simply a lawyer
| believe we began to go wrong when
whether a high protective tariff was
good or bad thing for the people OF
this country. So long as we discuss
ed the question of the right of the gen
eral government to levy a revenue
large enough to pay the expenses OF
running the general government, eco
nOmically administered, that long We
were upon safe ground. When we be
gan to discuss the question as tc
whether it was a good or bad thing
from that moment we made the tariff
what we laughed at Gen. Hancock fol
saying it was-a local issue.
The protection of American indus
tries naturally leads to a desire upor
the part of those industries to com
bine. Having successfully driven ou
all foreign competition. observing the
income which arose to them as stock
holders by reason of this special leg
islation, it stands to reason, without
any criticism of the men themselves
that they desired to still further in
crease their abundance, and this in
crease of abundance, competition hav
ing first been throttled, was easy t.
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