Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1914-03-28

4
the Democratic nomination for United
States SENATOR has announced his plat
form in which he says
am now, and always have been, a
Progressive Democrat
The country is honeycombed with
trusts. monopolies and combinations
OF an Infinite variety. They stifie com
petition, destroy equal opportunities
among the people, regulate the output
and In measure fix the prices OF
nearly everything the people use. The
small merchant and manufacturer ID
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 are capable Of correc.
ton, Is, In my judgment, the para.
mount necessity Of the day.
favor legitimate business OF every
kind, whether large or small, and II
elected, I would do everything to help
but nothing to harm II.
l subscribe. however. to the PROPOSE.
ton: THAT private monopoly is indie.
feasible and intolerable." Such mon.
opolies are almost invariably created
for improper purposes and are usually
maintained by unfair means.
l stand for full and complete indus.
trial freedom. for laws that will en-.
courage fair, and forbid unfair compe.
tition, and that will insure equal on.
portunities and fair play for all the
people.
The tariff and currency bills,
passed by the present administratio
and the administrators proposed anti.
trust laws will 60 far towards accom-.
plishing these objects, but much more
remains to be done to restore normal
conditions.
The laws regulating the relations OF
capital and labor are. In my judgment.
inadequate and unsuited to present
conditions, and are unfair and unjust
to employees.
With the use Of modern machinery
and methods, the lives and limbs of the
working people are exposed to fright.
full dangers. Take, for instance, the
case of railroad employees; statistics
show that they are exposed, In the
performance Of their duties, to greater
dangers than those to which soldiers
are exposed In times Of war.
! consider human rights more impor.
tant than property rights. and I be.
lieve 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 can
be reasonably done to secure the
safety, health and general welfare Of
their employees.
l believe that the unholy alliance
which has 80 long existed between
special interests and the government,
and the existence and activities of cor.
rupt political bosses-the business
agents OF special nterests-have been
largely responsible for the conditions
from which we suffer most, and that
the breaking up OF such alliance, the
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 |
candidate. are: Would the candidate, IL |
nominated and elected, stand for the
special interests, or for the people;
and Is he honest, trustworthy and com.
petent?
My position, In reference to other
important questions not here In specifi-
cally referred to, Is sufficiently indi.
Gated by the statement that ! sub.
scribe to the national Democratic plat.
form Of 1912, and ! am in full accord
with the policies outlined by the pres.
ant national administration.
James C. McShane Is 81 years of
age. He was born of Irish parentage
It Litchfeld, Ill. He was educated In
he public schools at Nation, ILL.,, and
or several years prior to leaving
school he worked upon neighboring
arms during school vacations. At
'ixteen he entered the railroad shops
It Nation, as an apprentice to the
'heet metal trade. and subsequently
at his trade In Mount Vernon,
'eoria and Chicago. While working
Is mechanic, he spent his evenings
preparing for legal course, and In
1884, when he was 20. he entered a
aw office at Nation. where he read
aw until 1887, when he was admitted
0 the bar. He at once engaged In the
ractice of law In Chicago, where he
las practiced for ~ years years. He