The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1914-03-30
N'sHANE FOE Of
CORRUPT BOSSES
CANDIDATE For U. 6. SENATOR
CHAMPIONS CAUSE OF INDUS.
TRIAL FREEDOM AND REPRE-
SENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.
STRIKES SPECIAL INTERESTS
chicasoan Comes Out VIA Pr05rcs-
siye But Not Radical Platform.

James c. McShane, candidate for
the Democratic nomination for United
States senator, has just issued lis
| platform. which is rs follows:
am now, and aiways have bccn,, a
! Progressive Democrat
/ The country is honeyc ombed with
! trusts, monopolies and combinations
OF an Infinite variety. They stifle COM
! petition, destroy equal opportunities
among the people. regulate the output.
| and in a measure fix the prices OF
| nearly everything the people use. The
small merchant and manufacturer is
| gradually being eliminated, and aside
| from agriculturists, we are rapidly be-
coming a nation of comparatively few
employers, and ever increasing mil
lions of employees.
The correction of these conditions,
so far as they ere capable of correc-
ton. is, in ny judgment. the para
mount noccs sity of the day.
| favor legitimate business of every
kind, whether large ; or small, and II
elected, would do everything TO help
but nothing to harm it.
Subscribe, however, 20 the propcsi-
ton: "Tha. private monopoly is nde-
fenaibIe and iatolerabIe." Such mon
opolics ere almost Invariably created
for improper purposes and are usually
maintained by unfair means.
1 ST. Is &, IN toAN tnrftt~-
trial ,ireedom, fer laws that will en-
courage fair, and forbid unfair compc-
tition, and that will incurc equal op-
pcrtonitica and fair play fer all &c
people.
The Tariff and Currency Bills,
passed by the present administration,
and the administration proposed anti
Trust Laws will go far towards accom-
rlishing these objects, bit much more
remains 20 be done 10 rcctore normal
conditions.
The laws regulating tho relations CT
capital and labor arc in my judgment.
in2deaa&ta and unsuited to present
conditions, and are unfair and unjust
to employees,
With the use c. modern machinery
and methods, the lives and limbs OF the
working people are exposed to fright
full dangers. Take fer instance the
case Of railroad employees, statistics
show that they are exposed. in the
performance of their Guties, TO greater
dangers than those to which soldiers
ara aynccoT ", tiy,,ac Of ,uar
consider human rights more mpor-
tant than property rights, and | be-
leve that justice, humanity and sound
public policy alike require that en-
ployers should be compelled to pro-
vide all approved safety appliances.
and in all respects to do all that chm
be reasonably done to secure the
safety health and general welfare Of
their employees. Y
believe that the unholy alliance,
which has SO long existed between
special interests and the Government,
and the existence and activities of cor
rupt political bosses-the business
agents of special interests-have been
largely responsible for the conditions
from which we suffer most and that
the breaking up of such alliance, the
elimination of corrupt political bosses.
and the overthrow of the so-called in
visible government are Indispensable
to the restoration of industrial free
dom and truly representative govern
ment.
| favor the initiative, referendum
and the short ballot.
The most important questions for
the voters to decide in respect to each
are: Would the candidate, if
and elected, stand for the
special interests, or for the people;
and is he honest, trustworthy and COM
petent?
The record and life's work of the
respective candidates Is, Of course,
the best evidence on these questions.
If candidates record and Iife's
.,ork show that he has been uni
formIy on the peoples side, 1t is fair
to assume that If elected he would re-
main on their side.
Upon the other hand, If a candi-
dates record and life's work show
that he has been uniformly on the
SIDE of the special interests, IL is rea-
1onahs to euppesct that, ii elected, he
would remain oaffhoir side.
It is hardly necessary to suggest
that no mai should be elected to
high office, whose reputation for hon.
scty and integrity is even question
able, ard certainly not If his reputa-
Ion in these respects is in fact bad.
If mans reputation is bad. that
5at in itself should disqualify him for
| hish Official position. This is true
lct only for the reason that man,
Who has such a reputation, almost in
ariabiy deserves it-for where there
s much smoke there is some flre-but
llso because the election of such
anilessens.. if it does not destroy, the
confidence and respect of the people,
n and for the law and government.
Ny position, in reference to other
Important questions not herein speci-
,cafly referred TO. Is sufficiently indi-
ated by the statement. that | sub
crise to the National Democratic
,iatform Of 1912, and | am in fall az.
ord with the policies outlined by me
,~a~pns %4ttcr,--1 Ads~,iufctr,tioo