New-York tribune., 1911-12-28
IA toilette |NVADES
PRESIDENTS STATE
Gives His Views on Progressive
RepubIiCanism to Big Crowd
at Cleveland.
MORE DEMOCRACY HIS CURE
He Demands a Rule of the Peo-
pie, Supreme Over Legislat-
ures, Presidents, Consti-
tutions and Courts"

uIeS, IIcSlueuIo, SOnSIl"
tutions and Courts"
Cleveland. Dec Ex-senator La Toilette
now an avowed candidate for the Presiden-
tial nomination on the principles outlined
as Progressive Republican" closed MS
first day of campaigning in President
Taft's state with largely attended meet
ing in the Cleveland Grays Armory to-
night after a short speech at Youngstown
i'm the afternoon. While at both meetings
considerable attention was paid TO corpora
tlons and their growth and conduct, the
greater part of the speeches was devoted
To explaining what was meant by Pro
gressve Republicanlsm" and what the
Progressives have done in Wisconsin
The initiative referendum and recall
were strongly advocated as cardinal prin-
ciples of the Progressives.
The Bureau Of Corporations was charac-
terized as the most wonderful institution
i'm the world and the speaker commended
Commissioner Herbert Knox Smith and his
predecessor, James K. Garfield, who sat on
the platform He said the bureau was
doing great things in determining the val
uatlon OF corporate properties.
The Senator's audience was enthusiastic
and frequently urged him to proceed when
he made an attempt to shorten his address
Repeated invitations were offered from the
audience to come again when he an
nounced that it was the first time he had
been i'm cleveland. Tomorrow Mr.. la Fol
lette will speak I'm Norwalk and Toledo.
John u. Fackler. state secretary of the
Progressives, presided over the meeting
He introduced Senator La Toilette as the
man who has destroyed the bipartisan pol
itcs of big business i'm Wisconsin and the
next President of the nation"
Mr. La Toilette departed somewhat from
the speech he had planned by taking up the
primary ballot law, charging that "Cleve-
landers have been sitting around here being
disfranchised for fifty years by political
bosses. but it is not for long he said, as
his hearers laughed and applauded
In his discussion of trusts Mr. La Fol
lette said the combination of corporations
was the cause of the high cost of living,
because they controlled prices, and that
God Almighty never made board Of di-
rectors good enough to control the homes
and families of American citizens
While the Senator was arraigning the
STANDARD oil Company and the banking in
stitutions Of the country Frank Rocke-
feIler, brother of John d. Rockefeller
sat on the platform, wearing a committee
mans badge.
Defines Progressive Republicanism.
What Progressive Republicanism means
Senator La Toilette again described. He
made a vigorous appeal TO Democrats TO
join the Progressive Republicans, because
they only represented true democracy,
and he charged that the Democrats Of the
South were "a democracy OF class and
arstocracy."
The initiative. referendum and the recall
we're declared to be tenets Of the Progress
sives, and the declaration for the latter
was received by the audience with APP
plause, which increased when the speaker
insisted the recall should be applied to
Judges.
with all my respect for the courts as
lawyer / do not feel that they are so holy
that they are incorruptible," he said.
There are judges who have served cor
porate interests so long that they can't see
straight They mean TO be honest, but they
can't hold the scales Of justice level We
Progressives stand for applying the recall
TO the judges"
Mr. La Toilette also discussed Ebert II.
Gary's plan for federal regulation of prices
as a relief from monopoly. He said he
had no patience with this method. Ulu-
mately, he said, the government would
have to fix prices OF labor, hours of en-
ployment and compensation of original
producers in order to fix accurately the
prices for the consumers.
Commission on Trade Restraint.
Instead OF the Gary plan or the Taft
ulan OF federal charters for corporations,
Senator La Toilette proposed his own plan
for a commission on restraint of trade, to
relieve the country of the condition IN
which ne finds IT, The Senator saw great
evil i'm the growth OF the trusts, and de-
scrlbing 1t said:
A tremendous power has grown up in the
country i'm recent years. Again and again
# has proven strong enough TO nominate
the candidates of both political parties. 1t
rules I'm the organization of legislative
bodies. state and national and Of the COM
mlttees which frame legislation. Its infu-
ence Is felt in Cabinets and in the policies
OF administrations. It's influence is seen In
the appointment OF prosecuting officers and
the selection of judges on the bench
In business it has crippled or destroyed
competition. II has stihed individual ini-
tiative 1t has fixed limitations in the field
Of production. II makes prices and i'm
poses it's burdens upon the consuming
public at will.
In finance its powers is unlimited In
large affairs it gives or withholds credit.
and from time 10 time contracts or initiates
the volume OF the money required for the
transaction Of the business of the country.
regardless Of everything excepting its own
profits.
II has acquired large control OF the public
domain, mOnopolized the natural resources,
timber. iron. coal and oil.
And this mighty power has grown up in
country where. under the Constitution and
the law, the citizen is sovereign.
Oenounces Payne Tariff Law.
Although Senator La Toilette made no
direct reference to the President and did
not suggest his own candidacy, he included
in his speech a denunciation OF the Payne
Aldrich tariff law Immediately following
his praise OF labor organization and his
opinion that the Sherman antitrust law
did not contemplate their regulation. lie
said:
The passage OF the Payne Aldrich bill
vate interests upon the people recorded In
tariff history
lie criticised the National Reserve As
sociaton Of the Aldrich monetary plan
saying:
The greatest menace TO competition at
the present time is the control Of credit
hands Of those who control the trusts.
Elasticity i'm is irnUaratiVe