Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1902 — POLITICS OF THE DAY [ARTICLE]

POLITICS OF THE DAY

A Cure for Monopoly. The trusts themselves are the most active instigators of discussion of this question: How shall these great combinations of capital be controlled in the public interest ? Every trust that is pillaging the people gets Its power to do so from monopoly. Monopoly Is rooted In special privilege. The Coal Trust, for examplel, has an absolute mastery of the market for anthracite because it owns the coal fields and the railroads that carry the coal. To attack the trust in the courts on the complaint that it has not been formed in strict compliance with the technical requirements of the law is to be interested in the make of a highwayman’s pistol rather r Hian in its shooting capacity, its power to enforce the orders of "Hands up!” And to rally public opinion for protest against the Coal Trust’s rapacity and arrogance Is but to roar against effects while ignoring causes. “Why,” asks so conservative a journal as the Springfield Republican, “why should exclusive private monopoly of natural resources so essential to the life and industry of the people as coal be suffered to exist?" And everybody who can think asks why railroads, which ought to be common carriers, treating all shippers equally, should be suffered to be used by the trusts to k. off competition. No we see the country coming to an understanding of the elementary truth that, as private ownership of natural resources and of the means of transportation inevitably results in the creation of monopolies, the effective way to deal with monopolies must be to strike at the private ownership of natural resources and the railroads.

The Coal Trust and the Food Trust are just now the leading schoolmasters of the American people. Tbe education in dear thinking about fundamental economics which they are giving is of the very highest value. It is sure to bear fruit ultimately in thorough going remedial and not merely palliative legislation. Every workingman or other citizen who sympathizes with the striking miners, o.- who objects to extortionate prices for fuel and food, if he is a reasoning being, will hereafter advocate and vote for government ownership of the raHroads.—New York Journal.

A Democratic HOn*e Needed. With the increased representation in the next House of Congress it will require 11)4 members to make a majority. There are now 15G Democrats in the House, so that presuming all of their seats will be retained in the elections of this year, the Democrats will still need to gain thirty-eight new members in order to have a majority. The question the Democratic campaign managers have to figure ou Is where they can most surely make fights with the prospect of winning those thirty-eight seats. A careful review of the votes cast at the election of 1900 shows that there are many more than thirty-eight congressional districts as they are now formed, and In spite of recent Republican gerrymanders, in which the Democrats nave fighting chances against majorities ranging from 10 votes to 700 votes. With the dissatisfaction that Is pervading Republican ranks in the West, with the great strikes ou in the East, and with the beef trust revolt affecting the people in every part of 'he country, the Democrats feel that the current is with them and that *hey tufty fairly expect to win the majority of the next House.

It will be worth while to give the Republicans a battle to the lust ditch lu every doubtful district In the Union. There i« need for Democratic control of the House of Representative* to me cuq that a strong scotch may bo put upon the extravagances of the Republicans and a ratchet on the headlong farcer of an administration equally indifferent to the popular will and the constitution of the uatlon.—Atlanta Constitution.

Teddy Duly Notified. The Republican State convention In Ohio, personally engineered and controlled by Senator Mark llanua, chairman of the Republican national committee, Is conceded to have furnished the keynote for the next presidential campaign. At that convention Gov. Nash, who Is Senator Hanna's official representative In Ohio, made the speech which Is supposed to outline Republican policy. Here Is one of the things he said; "Corporations should not be looked upon ns the enemies of the people, blit as their friends, enpahle of still further development and making useful the great resources of our State, and giving to labor remunerative employment and to capital safe luvestmen*. The last Legislature looked with friendly spirit upon the presence of corporations lu Ohio. It believed that they should be fostered and encouraged, and not fought as the common enemies of mankind.” Those who are In the habit of resiling between the lines will experience little difficulty In discovering the wnroIng thus conveyed to the present o'*oupant of the White House, yvbo lute shown a marked disposition to lie obstreperous upon the question of corporate and trust operations. It may

also be accepted as due and timely notice that the Republican party lias no intention of abandoning those interests from which it drew its $0,000,000 campaign fund for the election of McKinley. The Republican party is the friend of the corporations, and if rite Man on Horseback doesn’t approve be will be given the future privilege of returning to his cowboy ranges.-Den-ver News. Invoke the Criminal Law. W. J. Bryan, In bis paper, addresses a letter t<£ President Roosevelt, urging him to cause criminal proceedings to be started against the alleged beef trust. Incidentally Mr. Bryan declares tbe President a courageous man. He begins by quoting the provisions of the Sherman anti-trust law, and continues: “You are the chief executive of this nation, and as such are not only empowered but are required to enforce the law. By commencing a civil action against the members of the beef trust you declared that the members of that trust are, in your opinion, guilty of a violation of the law. Why do you hesitate to commence a criminal action? The penalty fixed in the statute is insignificant compared with the penalty prescribed for a violation of less important statutes. If the members of the beef trust have raised the price of meat one cent per pound, they have laid a tax of millions of dollars upon the people of the United States, “It.is publicly stilted that some of the capitalists have condemned you for attempting to enforce the anti-trust law even by civil process'; it is even hinted that they threaten to oppose your renomluatiou if you show the strenuousuess in this direction that you have shown toward the Filipinos, but can you be scared by such threats? Will you fear to face concentrated wealth? Civil suits may annoy the captains of industry, lint if you are going to shackle cunning -you will have to shackle it with criminal laws. A prison cell will prove more effective in the prevention of monopoly than judgments or decrees for the payment of money. You have a chance to show that you were in earnest when you made that Minneapolis speech.” -

The Democracy of IndianaThe Indiana Democratic eonvKit’on was as harmonious and enthusiastic as such gatherings ever are when they address themselves solely to the principles of the Democracy. There are but four Democratic members froip Indiana in the present Congress, the total membership from that Stirte being thirteen. Under the new Congressional apportionment it Is possible that the Democrats may carry two or three additional districts.

The Republican gerrymander of the State lacked material 0 elements of strength. In trying to make more "sure districts” than the popular vote warranted the Republican majorities were spread out thinly even under the landslide vote of 1900. All the close districts are likely to elect Democratic members this year. The Indiana Democratic platform reverts to indisputable Democratic principles. The spirit of the convention in all its stages was a pledge of harmony, efficiency in the campaign and an old-fashioned Democratic movement with reasonable assurmces of success at the polls. It Is a noteworthy fact thn*. the Indiana Populists also held a State convention on Wednesday, nominated a full State ticket and adopted a regulation Populistic platform. As they nre going in a direction different from that which the Democrats have taken, both parties wisely dropped the Idea of a fusion.—Chicago Chronicle.

Promise of Independence. What has happened in the case of Culm Is, as a matter of fact, vastly better than the most optimistic ventured to hope, while what Nas happened In the Philippines Is, in many respects, worse than the most confirmed pessimist dared to prophesy. If uny conclusion is to lie drakvu from the experience as to the lienefit or Injury of a promise of independence, the lesson Is that that promise was our salvation In Culm, and that the absence of it waa the source of unspeakable misery and wrong in the Philippines.- -Baltimore News.

Independent with Limitations. It Is clear that to speak of Cuba as "Independent” Ih not strictly corruct; she is dependent upon the good trill of the United States. Her aovalled Independence is limited by the approval and sanction of her conduct for the future by* the United Staten. Sh» is practically nothing but an expertiu»ntal ntate on her good behavior. If ever she becomes a derelict government the United States can and doubtless will Interfere.—Portland Oregonian.

The OrcKon Lesson. There Is food for thought In the result of the Oregon election. It shows the possibility of breaking through the Hues of a majority party, notwithstanding Its organised strength In the support of federal policies of adinluls* tratlou, through the presentation of strong, suitable nud aggressive candidates for Htnte offices who make their appeal for sup|>ort by ranging themselves on the right side of State Issues.