The Monte Vista journal., 1915-04-24


oring for a return to the days when
business will be free from attack; ;
when enterprise will be encouraged
and thrift appreciated For gen.
Grafton the beneficiar!es of special
legislation-the corporations which,
either because OF unfair laws or in
the absence Of laws that should be
enacted, have collected tribute upon
the public-all are in full cry for a
return of 1.-The goou old days" when
officials were lifted into place and
power by corruption funds, when
the republican party sold legislation
at public auction and gave immunity
in return for contributions.
What has the democratic party
done to disturb any HONEST bust
ness man? To say that the cure OF
recognized and admitted abuses is
an attack on business is like calling
physician murderer when, in the
patients interest. he lances a boil.
The democratic party has been lane
ing boils-only few, to be sure, but
they were boils that had come to a
head and were ready to open.
What business interest has been
injured by democratic legislation?
To what business has injustice been
done? The new tariff law is the
most equitable that we have had in
a generation. Insofar as it has re-
duced the profits of protected inter
ests, it has simply taken from them
the power that they have heretofore
is true that we now collect through
an income tax part of the revenue
that was formerly collected through
import duties,-and there's the rub.
Men who would be ashamed to open
ly condemn the income tax are seek
ing to find some excuse for return
ing to power the party that tried to
prevent the adoption of the income
tax. Surely the consumers will BE-
lacking in appreciation of the serv-
ice rendered them if they permit he
election of president, a senate, or
a house hostile to the income tax.
What is there in the new currency
law to which any legitimate enter
prise can take exception? Every
business man should raise his voice
in thanksgiving Tor the benefits
which it confers; every small banker
should appreciate the aid extended
to him, and that, too, largely with
out any effort on his part. One can
hardly find it in his heart to blame
the small bankers for having joined
in the protest against the currency
bill BEFORE it was passed, for they
acted under coercion-they were in
danger of being crushed in the folds
of the financial serpent and were
not in position to protect them
selves. Only the big financiers have
reason to complain of the currency
law and their only complaint is that
their grip upon the nations throat
has been broken.
What fair-dealing corporation has
been injured by the antitrust legis-
lation? The Clayton law and the
law providing for trade commits
sion have brought a boom to the
worthy corporations by
restraining the one-hundredth cor
poration which sought to eliminate
No corporation need
be afraid of the antitrust laws, new
or old, SO long as it respects the law
of competition and endeavors to fur
nish good quality and fair price.
Corporations engaged in legitimate
business-and they constitute the
vast majority-may be compared to
those engaged in the industry of
horse raising, the compare
lively few predatory corporations
may be likened to those who make
horse stealing their occupation. To
accuse the democratic party of at
lacking business merely because it
has declared war on methods which
violate the moral law, as well as The
is as senseless as 1t would
be to condemn the law against horse
stealing on the ground that 1t was
an interference with the horse in
dustry of the country.
1t is a reflection upon the intelli-
gence of the masses to assume that