d, maintained, or altered in whatever
manner will best promote the general interest." This assertion is
explicit. We say directly that "the people" are absolutely to control in
any way they see fit, the "business" of the country. I again challenge
Mr. Wilson to quote any words of the platform that justify the
statements he has made to the contrary. If he cannot do it--and of
course he cannot do it, and he must know that he cannot do it--surely he
will not hesitate to say so frankly.

Mr. Wilson must know that every monopoly in the United States opposes
the Progressive party. If he challenges this statement, I challenge him
in return (as is clearly my right) to name the monopoly that did support
the Progressive party, whether it was the Sugar Trust, the Steel Trust,
the Harvester Trust, the Standard Oil Trust, the Tobacco Trust, or any
other. Every sane man in the country knows well that there is not one
word of justification that can truthfully be adduced for Mr. Wilson's
statement that the Progressive programme was agreeable to the
monopolies. Ours was the only programme to which they objected, and they
supported either Mr. Wilson or Mr. Taft against me, indifferent as to
which of them might be elected so long as I was defeated. Mr. Wilson
says that I got my "idea with regard to the regulation of monopoly from
the gentlemen who form the United States Steel Corporation." Does Mr.
Wilson pretend that Mr. Van Hise and Mr. Croly got their ideas from the
Steel Corporation? Is Mr. Wilson unaware of the elementary fact that
most modern economists believe that unlimited, unregulated competition
is the source of evils which all men now concede must be remedied if
this civilization of ours is to survive? Is he ignorant of the fact that
the Socialist party has long been against unlimited competition? This
statement of Mr. Wilson cannot be characterized properly with any degree
of regard for the office Mr. Wilson holds. Why, the ideas that I
have championed as to controlling and regulating both competition and
combination in the interest of the people, so that the people shall be
masters over both, have been in the air in this country for a quarter of
a century. I was merely the first prominent candidate for President who
took them up. They are the progressive ideas, and progressive business
men must in the end come to them, for I firmly believe that in the
end all wise and honest business men, big and little, will support our
pro