The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-06-10
CHAMP CLARK TALKS
ABOUT THE TRUSTS
Speaker Declares He Would
Send Offenders to Jail if He
Had the Power.
BY International News Service.

BY International News Service.
! NEW YORK, June 9.-Speaker
Champ Clark would send the big trust
offenders to Jail. The man who is GO
ing to the Baltimore convention to try
for the Democratic presidential nomina-
tiou has gone OF record as to this phase
Of the trust question in these words:
Everybody knows that the sugar
trust stole millions from the govern
ment and that the bigwigs in the con-
Germ kept out of the penitentiary by
| compromise by which they paid to the
government a small part Of what they
had stolen. There never was q thief
get, great or small who would not be
glad TO escape felon s stripes, by Civ
ing back n small portion Of the prop
crty stolen. Theoretically the law is
no respecter of persons and should not
be in practice. If the law were hon
estly and vigorously enforced against
all criminals, the great as we'll as the
| small, there would not be so much un-
rest throughout the land
Democratic Programme.
Yet the speaker is no enemy of legit
innate business. big or little.
"The Democrats" said he, forecast
ing programme for the Democratic
party when it shall have been fully re-
stored to power, "have no desire to
disturb or cripple legitimate business,
or to harass corporations that are not
in violation Of the law. The Demo
Gratis believe that conditions approx
mating fair competition III the business
world are best for all the people, and
to that end all legislation to be enacted
will be framed
The conditions of unrest prevailing
IN the nation, the speaker believes,
merely represent a demand that cop
portuuity shall be equalized for all
men. 1t Is the fight of the average
man for his rights.
Mr., Clark ls opposed to the repeal
of the Sherman act and favors, on the
contrary, such amendments as will
make absolutely clear its provisions,
''if it ism t already clear"
Ideas on Trusts.
The man upon whom the leaders hip
Of the Democracy may fall in the ap-
preaching presidential battle. has fixed
no definite ideas on the subject Of the
trusts.
What we contend for is that every
legitimate business and every citizen
have equal opportunity, he said, Hand
that laws be passed that will enable
no few to be the benefciaries of the
toll and sweat and lives of the thou
sands.
"There are many issues, some OF
them of vital importance, But / believe
that there can be no real reform until
the tariff has been lowered and the
trusts abolished, hence I am for tack
ling the tariff and the trusts and doing
Ut lust as fast as we can compatibly
with sound business judgment and the
evolution of remedial measures.
Sc The idea of monopoly is repug-
m2pt tp - ha onooGoy
simply cannot understand how we can
protect opportunity for the common
man and establish monopolies, even
though they be honestly regulated in
the desire - prevent cXtortion. I am
for the abolition of the trusts. because
/ can see no other wav to solve the
problem consistently with the American
theory that all men shall have equal
opportunity
Clark's Platform.
Consistent with his beliefs on the
subject. the speaker has advised that |
the two foremost planks in the Demo |
cratic platform be drawn TO cover the |
evils of the trusts and the tariff.
The destruction of the monopohstic |
trusts and careful government regula,
tion of all corporations is no new ide,
with the speaker. Back in 1899. out. |
lining the platform upon which the |
Democrats could hope to achieve vic. |
tory, Mr.. Clark said:
" We should put into our platform as |
strong an antitrust plank as the Amer. |
lean language can make, which will re- |
store to every citizen of this republic |
the iDallcnable right to earn his bread |
IN the sweat Of his brow, which will |
guarantee to every laborer the enjoy |
ment of all his wages and which will |
once moro make possible that competi.
u-h1ph l.
of trade until the Republican part
created countless brood of trusts
which are sucking the life blood Of the
great body of the people,