The Commoner.
Oct. 17, 190a ,
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A republican paper says that the sign "Help
(Wanted" is conspicuous an over the country today
and is one of the evidence of re
. Help Wanted publican prosperity. This ropub
to be lican paper has forgotten that
Sure, in many instances the help is
wanted to tako the places of
workingmen who are striking in the hope of ob
taining sufficient wages with which to support
their families in these days of republican trust
prices.
The Now York republican convention, domi
nated by Senator Piatt, who was reported to bo
very antagonistic to President
Has Roosevelt on account of the
Piatt president's attitude toward
Changed? trusts, declared in favor of Mr,
Roosevelt's nomination in 1904,
and pledged the earnest efforts of the republican
party of New York to bring about that end. Has
Piatt become convinced that trusts are not good
for the country? Or have those who have placed
their confidence in Mr. Roosevelt's "campaign
against trusts" been deceived?
The Chicago Inter-Ocean, a republican paper,
, referring to a recent article in The Commoner,'
says: "Mr. Bryan virtually says;
Apply all 'Let'the tariff alone.' " Mr. Bry-
Practical an has said nothing of the kind.
Remedies. Mr. Bryan said that the free
list as a remedy for trusts must
not be put forward as a complete remedy for the
evil. The Kansas City platrorm declared in favor
of removing the tariff from trust products. Mr.
Bryan has repeatedly urged that plan as a partial
remedy. Years ago he introduced in congress a bill
.to Uat effect; and every Issue of The Commoner
and nearly every speech which Mr. Bryan has de
livered will show that he has not said nor in
tended to say, "Let the tariff alone." The free
list is a partial remedy. It is by no means a com
plete one, but every practical remedy must be
applied in dealing with this great evil.
The New York World complains because the
gold loan rate recently rose to 20 per cent The
World says: "It is Irritating in
a time of general prosperity to
have business hampered by lack
of money, which is In the larger
sense merely a tool of trade. The
'surplus' looks well on paper, but the nation
would be better off just now if it were out of the
treasury." And yet the World has been the most
persistent advocate of the monetary system that
persuades money to go into hiding. The World
has had much to say of the "body of death" and
by this term it has had reference to bimetallism;
but. it will yet discover that the "body of death"
is the single gold standard and just so long as
the American people reject bimetallism, and ad
here, even in a partial way, to the single gold
standard they will be tied to this "body of death"
and will be subject to all the inconveniences flow
ing from it
The "Body"
Death.
Tho
Fowler Bill
an Issue.
The Philadelphia Ledger, a republican paper,
says: "There was no more important measure be
fore congress than currency re
form in tho last session; and the
Fowler bill should have been
pushed, discussed and shaped so
f that the currency question could
have been brought before the country. Tho time
to reform the currency is during prosperity, and
wp trust the work will not be postponed until it
Is forced on congress by bad conditions. Then,
perhaps, sound financiers will not have the power
to pass sound legislation." Well, the Fowler bill
has been reported unanimously by the republican
majority of tho house committee. Those who are
opposed to that measure have insisted upon bring
ing it before the country, but republican candidates
for congress dodge the issue. It is not too late yet
for republican candidates to defend the republican
Fowler bill. Their opponents will cheerfully wel
come a discussion on that measure.
A reader of The Commoner suggests a grad
uated license tax on gross receipts from interstate
commerce as a means of regulat
ing the trusts, and sonds a clip
ping from an editorial (paper
unmentioned) outlining such a
tax. Aside from the objection
'that is always made to tho use of the taxing power
to discriminate between industries, It is sufficient
to say that the effort should not be to control a
private monopoly, but to destroy it A private
monopoly, according to the Kansas City platform,
is indefensible and intolerable, and there ought
But One
Remedy For
Monopoly.
to bo no hesitation in applying a remedy which will
absolutely kill very private monopoly in
the United States. A monopoly can charge prac
tically what it pleases. If a tax of 2 per cent was
put on its earnings it would raise the price and
make tho consumers pay it, and if the tax was put
at 10 per cent it would raise tno prices again.
What wo need is a remedy that will make it im
possible for a private monopoly to exist in tho
United States, and the Kansas City platform sug
gests such a remedy.
2-CC
A Candid Confession.
(Continued from Pago 2.)
.i i
-J-J
to observe that the chief objection which this re
publican paper presents to Mr. Bryan's proposed
remedies is that "Bryan certainly must know that
tho senate as at present constituted will enact no
law that would curtail tho privileges or conflict
with tho interests of tho coal barons and giant
corporations commonly called trusts;" and it is
also Interesting to observe that this republican
paper says, "an extra session of congress would,
-therefore, simply bo a waste of money and onergy."
And why "a waste of money and energy 7"
And why would "the senate as at presont con
stituted enact no law that would curtail tho priv
ileges or conflict with tho interests of the coal
barons, and giant corporations commonly called
trusts?"
The plain and simple answer, readily at hand,
is that the sonate as at present constituted is a
republican senate, representing a party that do
rives its campaign funds from tho coal barons and
giant corporations commonly called trusts.
An extra session of congress would, he says,
simply bo a waste of money and energy because tho
republican party is tho beneficiary of the trusts
and its representatives would not dare to do any
thing in contravention to the policies of these
great and enormous aggregations of capital.
A very candid confession, indeed, coming from
one of the representative republicans of tho west;
and yet what intelligent man will say that such a
statement is a sufficient reply to the remedy which
Mr. Bryan has suggested for trust impositions?
JJJ
The Party Has Come Back.
The Sioux City Journal, a republican paper,
prints an interesting interview with J. J. Rich
ardson of Davenport, la. Mr. Richardson Is a
"Cleveland democrat" and in 180G and in 1900
he was such a thorough "Cleveland democrat" that
he could not conscientiously give his support to
the democratic national ticket.
Mr. Richardson rushes into print, through the
medium of the Sioux City Journal, republican, to
say: "You may say that I am well pleased with
the platform adopted at the Iowa democratic state
convention. It coincides with my position. Tho
party has come back and I am well pleased
with the present conditions."
"The party has come back," indeed. Mr.
Richardson and his colleagues told us that they
favored the single gold standard because it rep
resented "honest principles." They could not give
their support to tho democratic national platform
of 1896 or the democratic platform of 1900 bo
cause it represented bimetallism; and yet what
does tho Iowa democratic platform for 1902 say?
Does it indorse the single gold standard? By no
means. So far as any definite statement on politi
cal principles is concerned, that platform is a de
lusion and a snare. And yet Mr. Richardson who
could not give his support to the democratic na
tional platform of 189G and of 1900 Indorses the
Iowa democratic platform of idU2 and says: "You
may say I am well pleased with the platform,"
and he adds, "The party has come back and I am
well pleased with tho present conditions."
How does it happen that a man who has always
insisted that political conventions should deal
honestly with tho people Is "well ploased" with a
platform that says nothing on a question which
he has insisted is a very important question?
How does it happen that Mr. Richardson says,
"Tue party has come back," when at the same
timo democratic orators in Iowa are telling the
voters of that state tl c the democratic platform
does not mean "Clevelandism" and that the demo
cratic party of Iowa, as it is organized today, Is
not the party of tho Clevelands, of the Carlysles,
and of the "Jerry" llchardsons?
JJJ
The Criminal Clause.
The New York Journal is entitled to credit for
formally bringing to the attention of Attorney
General Knox tho criminal clause of the federal
anti-trust law and insisting upon the enforcement
of that law against the coal barons. Tho Journal
has directed Attorney General Knox's attontlon U
the fact that tho very first section of tho federal
anti-trust law provides for criminal prosccuttoa
of those who engage in combinations in tho form
of trusts or conspiracy In restraint of trade or
commerce among tho sovoral statos or with foreigs
nations.
Tho Journal suggests to Attornoy General
Knox that criminal prosocutlons of those well-fed
violators of tho law will bo advantageous to public
interests. By way of proof In support of the de
mand for tho immediate criminal prosecution of
theso people tho Journal calls attention to tho find
ing of tho congressional committco of tho interstate
and foreign commission made In 18J5? and quoted
with approval In tho roport of tho industrial com
mission in 1902, as follows:
Tho commlttoo, aftor a careful Investiga
tion, has come to tho conclusion that tho rail
road compaules ongaged in mining and trans
porting coal are practically In a combination
to control tho output and fix tho prlco which
tho public pays for this important and neces
sary article of consumption. Thoro Is substan
tially no competition existing betweon theso
companies. Tho only limitation to tholr de
mands is tho Indisposition on tho part of tho
public to buy tholr product at an exorbitant
price.
Tno editor of tho Journal announces to tho at
torney general that an active concert and com
bination controls tho country's "anthracite coal sup
ply. Ho declares that ho can show that tho main
conspiracy is centered in tho Temple Iron com
pany and that tho men whoso acts should thus
bo subjected to an investigation by tho grand
jury are Georgo P. Baor, Ebon T. Thomas, 13. D
Underwood, William H. Truesdalo, Alfred Waltor
R. M. Olyphant, Thomas P. Fowler, and Irving A.
Stearns.
Upon receipt of the Journal's statement, At
torney Genoral Knox referred tho sarao to tho dis
trict attornoy for New York. There has been a
vory general curiosity to know why tho admin
istration has not sought to enforce tho criminal
clause of the fedoral anti-trust law. No repre
sentative of tho administration has attempted to
explain tho administration's failure in this respect,
and the formal notice which tho New York Jour
nal has served upon tho attorney genoral will at
tract widespread attention. It is to be hoped, also,
that Attornoy General lvnox may yet bo persuaded
to seriously undertake tho enforcement of this very
important and in fact chief feature of tho federal
anti-trust law.
JJJ
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Increased circulation of Tho Commoner means "an
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party from falling Into the hands of those who
would make democracy so near like republican
ism that the trusts and syndicates would havo no
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