Waterbury Democrat

WILL YOU REBUKE THE TRUSTS

In the last six months the American people have been twice confronted with a startling proof of the far reaching effect of monopolistic influence. "The Trusts" have been used as a political issue in several campaigns now, but the average man looked upon them as upon other issues. He believed that in some vague, uncertain way great combinations were to be watched with scrutiny by the government. He accepted "the trusts" as an issue as he would accept any other political issue, believing that in order that the two great political parties might meet, it was necessary to have some real cause of contention. But it can safely be said that the American voter did not give much credence to the argument that "the trusts" affected him in any way as an individual. The sudden rise in beef, however, startled the whole American people into a realization that the evil influence of unjust combination was being felt in the life of every man and woman in the country. The whole people rose up in just anger and the beef trust became a target for the fiercest possible kind of denunciation. But the question was asked, "What can be done?" "How can this grasping combination of beef barons be reached?" To these questions no answer came back. Some towns organized indignation meetings, others gave birth to vegetarian societies, but these two and other methods did not appeal on the whole to the sensible citizen. He felt that such methods of dealing with an enemy were futile in lacking directness and force. Hardly had our citizens recovered from the stunning effect of the rise in beef when a coal famine with all its untold horrors was thrust upon them. And again the question was asked, "What can be done?" The answer this time was evident. The American voter realized that his only weapon was his ballot; that when conditions arose within the government which were hurtful to him he had but the one remedy which his suffrage gave him. Every voter in this state and country must realize, if he be a thoughtful man, that the one way to secure law which will safeguard his interests is to see to it that by his ballot the administration in power, whatever that administration may be, which permits these vicious conditions to grow and flourish to see to it that that administration is rebuked. It is but a tenable position for the republican party to take to say that they will try to regulate the trusts. They are at bar and must make a better defense. The only way that the American citizen can make his citizenship count is to use it against an administration which has failed to safeguard his rights. The republican party has made a conspicuous failure when that party has permitted a condition to grow whereby six or seven men can, by their stubbornness entail upon millions of our citizens a severe and harrowing famine. If the voter could prevent this reckless disregard of honesty in government, he must not acquiesce in it. The democratic party offers to every citizen at this time, no matter what be his politics, the relief that is always afforded by a strong healthy opposition party. A man who will pass by the opportunity to give this well-merited and well directed rebuke is not doing his full duty to his state or country. If he becomes so partisan that his party affiliation is stronger than his Americanism, then the time is short when any administration, whether it be republican or democratic, will find it necessary to make an accounting to him. The right to vote which is enjoyed generally is a fine check upon avarice and greed, and corruption of men in power, if these men in power find that they have no reckoning day, that they can proceed on their way with impunity, we will have as a result even more intolerable conditions than the conditions which are springing up from the beef and coal famine. A vote for the democratic ticket, be it state or congressional, at this time is a rebuke to the coal and beef trusts. Are you willing to give these combinations this rebuke? If so, the path is pointed out to you, the way is clear, and a failure to make the most of this advantage will mean that you must fume and fret under additional wrongs for two years more before a chance comes to you again to express your disapproval.