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The Commoner
VOLUME '8, NUMBER 30
12
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P' if L. . a 111 (Ail EC sCpty s . vA
Jnmcs II. Budd, former governor
of California, died at his homo in
Stockton.
Lowls Bennett has been nominated
by the democrats of West Virginia
as thoir candidate for governor. The
following telogram explains itself:
"Lincoln, Neb., July 30. W. E.
Chilton, John II. Hall, John T. Mc
Graw, Charleston, W. Va.: I groat
ly appreciate the cordial endorse
ment given by your convention, and
fiharo with you in tho hope that the
hearty co-operation promised may in
sure a democratic victory in West
Virginia and the nation.W. J. Bryan."
Mr. Taft's Speech of Acceptance
It is announced that James S.
Sherman, republican vice presiden
tial candidate, will bo formally noti
fied at Utlca, August 18.
Following is a Little Rock, Ark.,
dispatch carried by the Associated
Press: "The several suits ponding
against the Waters-Pierce Oil com
pany in tho circuit court hero, charg
ing violation of tho anti-trust laws
of tho stato and illegal discrimina
tion, terminated today when the at
torneys of the defendant company
accepted a compromise penalty .of
$10,000. The prosecuting attorney
in accepting the compromise gave as
his reason the improbability of se
curing convictions should the case
"be brought to. trial, because of diffi
culty . ln securing necessai y evidence."'
William R. Hearst's Independence
party held a convention in Chicago,
July 28, and nominated for presi
dent Thomas L. L. Hisgen of Massa
chusetts, and for vice president John
Temple Graves of New York.
An Associated Press dispatch, says:
The friends of Mr. Bryan made an
effort during tho night session to
bring his name before, the. conven
tion, and the man who attempted it
nearly produced a riot and narrowly
escaped physical violence at the
hands of the indignant delegates.
Tho man who sought to place Mr.
Bryan In nomination was J. I. Shep
&rd of Fort Scott, Kan. Ho did not
succeed In his mission, for being
called to order by tho convention and
questioned by Chairman Charles A.
Walsh, he admitted that it was his
intention to nominate Mr. Bryan.
That was tho first and last time he
mentioned the name of the demo
cratic leader. He was promptly de
clared out of order by the chairman,
and under tho guard of several ser-geants-at-arms
ho was hustled out
of the hall, while some of the in
censed vainly attempted to strike
him with their fists, and one of them
swung at him savagely with a cane.
Following is a synopsis of tho.
platform adopted:
Declares for direct nominations,
the initiative and referendum and
tho right of recall.
Demands that no franchise go into,
operation until ratified by popular
vote. , j
Demands the right to recall pub-
lie officials from public service when!
tliey betray public' trust or show!
their unfitness. , r ,
. Condemns corrupt practices at,
election and demands effective legis-'
lation, to prohibit use of money at
elections except for meetings, liter-!
qture and expenses of travnllncr.
"Publicity of contributions is dosir-j
able and should be required, but the
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use to which contributions are put.vjated income, tax.
Demands honest conduct of public
offlco and economy in administration.
Condemns tho evil of over-capitalization
and advocates enactment of
laws to prevent watering stock, dis
honest issues of bonds and other
forms of corporation frauds.
Denounces the "so-called labor
planks of the democratic and repub
lican platforms as political bun
combo and contemptible clap-trap."
Says tho "republican declaration
that 'no injunction or temporary re
straining order should bo issued
without notice, except where irre
parable injury would result from de
lay, is empty verbiage." Denounces
as moaningless and worthless the
democratic declaration "that injunc
tion's should not bo issued in any
caso in which injunctions should not
issue if no industrial disputes were
involved." Condemns arbitrary use
of injunction. Asserts that in "all
actions growing out of a dispute be
tween employers and employes con
cerning terms or conditions of em
ployment, no injunction shall issue
until after a trial upon its merits,
that such trial should be had before
a jury and that in no case of alleged
contempt should any person be de
prived of liberty without a trial by
jury."
Indorses those organizations
among farmers which tend to bring
about a just distribution of wealth,;
favors the eight hour work day, de
mands that all work for the govern
ment be" done on an eight hour basis;
condemns blacklisting; advocates
federal inspection of railways to se
cure greater safety; calls for strin
gent employes' liability law and pro
hibition of child labor; condemns
prison made goods; favors creation
of department of labor; favors fed
eral inspection of grain under civil
service.
Favors central bank of issue
. As to tariff, demands a revision
by friends of tho people, not of .the
tariff, and declares for gradual re
duction of duties.
Demands adequate railroad facili
ties, and would compel roads to pro
vide sufficient cars for freight and
passenger trafrlc; favors creation of
an interstate commerce court to re
view acts of commission and enforce
its orders, and declares for a physi
cal valuation of roads.
On tho trust question the platform
denounces all combinations in re
straint of trade and would punish
such combinations by prison penal
ties for individuals and not fines for
tho stockholders,
Advocates public ownership of
railroads and telegraphs.
Favors parcels post and postal
savings banks.
Declares for a national system of
good roads.
Favors a court review of rulings,
of postoffice department.
Declares for separate statehood
for Arizona and New Mexico.
Would suppress bucketshops and
dealings in futur.es.
Would create national health
bureau, t :,,
Opposes Asiatic immigration .... r
Advocates bigger navyk . !
Approves democratic and republi-j
can planks on .inland water ways and!
conservation of natural resources, i
. Would protect American citizens
at homo and abroad. i: v j
'"" Advocates popular election : o'fl
'United States' senators, of state 'ai!
federal judges valid favors a gra'du-
(Continued from Page 9)
by the interstate commerce commis
sion of the tangible property of a
railroad is proper and may from time
to time bo necessary in settling cer
tain issues which may come before
them, and that no evil or injustice
can come from valuation in such
cases, if it be understood that the
result is to be used for just pur
pose, and tho right to a fair profit
under all the circumstances of the
investment is recognized.
"Tho interstate commerce commis
sion has now the power to ascertain
the value of the physical railroad
property, if necessary, in determin
ing the reasonableness of rates. If
tho machinery for doing so is not
adequate, as is probable, it should
bo made so.
"Tho republican platform recom
mends legislation forbidding the is
sue in the future of interstate rail
way stocks and bonds without federal
authority. It may occur in such cases
that the full value of the railway,
and, as an element thereof, the. value
of the tangible property of the rail
way, would be a. relevant and impor
tant factor in assisting the proper
authority to determine whether the
stocks and bonds to be issued were
to have proper security behind them.
and in such case, therefore, there
should be the right and machinery
to make a valuation of the physical
property.
CONTROL OF CORPORATIONS
"Another suggestion in respect to
subordinate and ancillary' machinery
necessary to carry out republican
policies is that of the incorporation
under national law or the licensing
by national license or enforced regis
try of companies engaged in inter
state trade. The fact is that nearly
all corporations doing a commercial
business are engaged in interstate
commerce, and if they all were re
quired to take out a federal license
or a federal charter the burden upon
the interstate business of. the coun
try would become intolerable.
"It is necessary, therefore, to de
Vise some means of classifying and
insuring federal supervision of such
corporations as have the power and
temptation to effect restraints of In
terstate trade and monopolies. Such,
corporations constitute a small per
centage of all engaged in interstate
business.
"With such classification in view
Mr. Roosevelt recommended ah
amendment to the anti-trust law,
known as the Hepburn bill, which
provided for voluntary classification,
and created a strong motive therefor
by granting immunity from prosecu
tion for reasonable restraints of In
terstate trade to all corporations
which would register and submit
themselves to the publicity regula
tions of tho department of commerce
and labor.
"The democratic platform sug
gests a requirement that corporations
in interstate trade having control of
25 per cent of the products in which
they deal shall take out a federal
license. This classification probably
would include a' groat many small
corporations engaged in the manu
facture of special articles or commo
dities whose total value is so incon
siderable that they are not really
within the purview or real evil of
the anti-trust law.
"It is not how necessary, however,
to discuss the relative merit of such;
propositions, but it is enough merely,
to affirm the necessity for some'
method by which greater executive
supervision can be given to the fed
eral government over those busines
ses In which there is a temptation
to violations of the anti-trust law.
"The possible operation of the
anti-trust 'lawMfri'der existing ruling
of tho supreme ''court has given' ride
to suggestions for Its
necessary
amendment to prevent its applica
tion to" cases which it is believed
were never in the contemplation of
the framers of tho statute. Tako
two instances:
"A merchant or manufacturer en
gaged in a legitimate business that
covers certain states wishes to sell
his business and his good will, and
so in the terms of the sale obligates
himself to the purchaser not to go
into the same business in those
states. Such a restraint of trade has
always been enforced at common
law. Again, the employes of an. in
terstate railway combine and enter
upon a peaceable and lawful strike
to secure better wages. At common
law this was not a restraint of trade
or commerce or a violation of tho
rights of the company or of tho
public.
"Neither case ought to be made
a violation of the anti-trust law. My
own impression is that the supremo
court would hold that neither of
these instances is within Its inhibi
tion, but, if they are to be so re
garded, general legislation amend
ing the law is necessary.
"The suggestion of tho democratic
platform that trusts be ended by for
bidding corporations to hold more
than 50 per cent of the plant in any
line of manufacture is made without
regard to the possibility of enforce
ment or the real evil in -trusts. A
corporation controlling 45 or 50 per
cent of the products may by well
known methods frequently affect
monopoly and stamp out competition
In a part of the country as complete
ly as if it controlled 60 or 70 per
cent thereof.
"The proposal to compel every
corporation to sell its. commodities
at the same price the country over,
allowing- for transportation, is utter
ly lm practicable. If ft ban be showli
that in order to drive but competi
tion a corporation owning a large
part of the plant producing an article
is selling in one part of the country,
where it has competitors, at a low
and unprofitable price and In another
part of the country, where it has
none, at an exorbitant price, this is
evidence that it is attempting an un
lawful monopoly, and justifies con
viction under the anti-trust law; but
the proposal to supervise the busi
ness of corporations in such a way
as to fix the price of commodities
and compel the sale at such price is
as absurd and socialistic a plank as
was ever inserted in a democratic po
litical platform.
"The chief difference between
the republican and the democratic
platforms is the difference which has
heretofore been seen between" tho
policies of Mr. Roosevelt and those
which have been advocated by the
democratic candidate, Mr. Bryan.
Mr. Roosevelt's policies have been
progressive and regulative; Mr. Ary
an's destructive.
"Mr Roosevelt has favored regu
lation of the business in which evils
have grown up so as to stamp out
the evils and permit the business to
continue. The tendency of Mr. Bry
an's proposals "have generally been
destructive of the business vith re
spect to which he is demanding re
form. "Mr. Roosevelt would compel tho
trusts to conduct their business In
a lawful manner and secure the ben
efits of their operation and the main
tenance of the prosperity of the
country of which they are an im
portant part; while Mr. Bryan would
extirpate and destroy tho entire
business In order to stamp out tho
evils which they have practiced.
"Tho combination of capital in
large plants to manufacture goods
witlv the greatest 'economy is just
as necessary as the assembling ,of
the parts of a machine to the econom
ical and more rapid manufacture of
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