Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-11
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maintained on high level.
Parenthetically might add that the
report OF the present tariff board on
wooden schedule tx" justifies the
great fight which was made against
this schedule by our own beloved Sem
ator Dolliver. The last year of Sena.
tor Delivers life was saddened by I'M
Just criticism leveled at him because
Of the stand he took on the Payne
Aldrich bill. The sorrow he felt
should have been alleviated by the
knowledge that his brilliant fight for
justice earned him the lasting graft
tude of the people.
Cummins Saved Law.
The law regulating commerce be-
tween the states has been the subject
Of much discussion. Every step In ad-
vance has been made by republican
congress. The Dolliver-Hepburn'a act of
the Fifty-ninth congress restored to the
Interstate commerce commission some
Of the needed power Of which the COM
mission had been deprived by court
decisions.
The law was practically rewritten In
the sixty.first congress, That it re-
manned. after amendment by this con-
lie good was largely due to the I'M
wavering courage and the persistent
fight put up by Senator Cummins. The
amendment to the Interstate com
merce act providing that the burden
Is upon the railroads to justify any
increase in rates is the most benefi.
cent piece of legislation of the decade.
The man who drew the amendment
and secured its passage was 1owa's
distinguished senior senator, Albert b.
Cummins.
would hesitate to say how great
was the service Senator Cummins rem
dered In formulating this legislation,
but l remember that it called forth a
letter from Iowa's grand old man, ex-
Governor William Larrabee, In which
he said, "This amendment would save
the people of the country $10O,00O,OOO
each year."
Who Is better able to Judge of such
matters than this veteran in the fight
against special privilege? He was one
of the pioneers who blazed the way.
Allow me to add here that In the
fight for great principles, one of our
neighboring states has furnished q
courageous, incorporating champion
of the peoples cause. We congratulate
Wisconsin on having produced pub
lie servant of the caliber of Robert M.
La Folleette. All honor to such
staunch souls of progress.
The interstate commerce law Is
calculated to operate so as to assure
just rates in transportation, but there
Is wheel within the wheel that
should 1e removed. BY abolishing the
commerce court the whole machinery
of the law would be sensibly simpli-
fled, and more nearly respond to the
exigencies of present day conditions.
Antitrust Law.
The antitrust law should stand. But
inasmuch as 1t was intended to prevent
combinations, trusts and monopOlies.
and to preserve reasonable competi-
ton, we think there is need of supple
mental legislation defining the status
of large corporations doing an inter-
state business. The main conditions
to be imposed should:
First-Prevent one company from
holding the stock of another company
Second - Contain a prohibition
against common officers and directors
Of any companies competing with each
other.
Third Contain prohibition against
continuous selling below cost In order
to destroy competition.
Fourth-Demand honest capitaliza-
ton.
Fifth Provide for limitation upon
the business. Not limitation that
will stifle big business carried on to
secure all the advantages of economy
in production, but Limitation that will
require more than one company OF sub.
stantially the same size, in order to
occupy the field. Progressive republic
cans are not against big business"
They are against "big crooked bust
ness and participation Of corporations
in the affairs of government.
Our attitude on all questions OF ma
tibnal Importance Is plain and straight
forward.
We believe in Just income tax law,
as the fairest measure of taxation. 1t
is one OF the principles embodied in
the forward movement of our party.
We advocate an intelligent without
fear Of favor conservation policy.
A federal law providing for primar-
les In the selection Of candidates for
the offices Of president and vice presi-
dent.
Direct election of United States SEN
ators.
AS a matter of party procedure, 1t
would seem only fair that in the fu.
ture representation in national conven-
tons from the various states should
be based on the election returns and
not on the report of the census bureau.
Regard these figures-comment Is un-
necessary.
Iowa and the South.
Iowa has 100000 republican voters
and rs delegates in national conven-
tion Iowa has more republican voters
than nine OF the southern states, yet
these nine states send 204 delegates to
the republican national convention. One
Of our congressional districts contains
a larger republican vote than is con-
tanned in the four states Of Louisiana,
Mississippi, South Carolina and Flor
Ida. These four states have seventy
delegates in convention. In other words,
one southern republican has heretofore
welded as much influence in selection
OF a president as fifty Iowans. When
the presidential primary law is up for
CON al a eration a new ratio of renre-