The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-02-18
IMPORTANT CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS.

AMENDMENTS.
Congressman EnIoe, of Tennessee,
is in favor of amending the Constitu.
ton so as to empower Congress to
legislate concurrently with the States
for the suppression of trusts and to
prohibit the making of gambling con
tracts in agricultural products and to
provide for the election of United
States Senators by a direct vote of
the people. In a speech on these sub
jects in the House of Representatives
on the 9th inst. Mr.. Enloe said:
1.-THE demand for legislation against
trusts is emphasized by the platforms
of both political parties, by public
speakers of all shades of political
opinion, by bills and speeches in Con
gress, and by a large part of the pub
lie press of the country. For Congress
to refuse to take any action in this
matter would be to plead guilty to a
degree of political hypocrisy and
demagogy which would go far to de-
stroy the confidence of the people in
the good faith and integrity of their
Representatives. To modify or repeal
the protective duties which enhance
the profits of trusts wonld be to strike
a powerful blow at those combinations,
and at another time | will devote some
attention to that branch of the subject;
but knowledge of trusts teaches us
that they may exist and do exist indie
pendently of protection duties in some
branches of trade, and this fact dem
onstrates the necessity of applying
other and more heroic remedies if we
would effectually destroy these fungi
of a material prosperity unequaled in
the annals of time. The demand for
relief from the destructive influence
of gambling contracts in agricultural
products is most emphatic among those
whose interests are most directly
affected by such contracts. 1t comes
from the farmers and laborers who
stand behind all political parties, and
constitute the very foundation Of our
great material prosperity. 1t comes
from those who contribute most to
support the Government, and receive
the least benefits from its methods of
administration. Organized labor has
spoken on this subject through it's
representatives in the great conven-
ton recently held at St. Louis, in the
following emphatic language:
Resolved, That we demand that
! Congress shall pass such laws as shall
efectually prevent the dealing in
futures of all agricultural and me-
chanical productions, pursuing a strln-
gent system of procedure in trials as
shall secure the prompt conviction,
and imposing such penalties as shall
secure the most perfect compliance
with law.
This demand contemplates consti-
tutional methods of dealing with the
question. While all must admit the
evil and the necessity for applying
some adequate remedy, there is a diff,
ference of opinion as to what action
should be taken. Some insist that the
States have the power to destroy both
OF these evils, and that the judicial
tribunals of the country will aid in
their overthrow.
| am free to admit that if all the
States would unite in uniform legisla-
ton against the evils sought to be
remedied by the amendment they
could efectually destroy them; but it
requires no argument to show that
the States having cities like Chicago
and New York would ave pass and
enforce any law to break up a business
which enriches their citizens at the
expense of all the other States.
The right to make a contract de-
ponds on the law of the State where
it is ma lie. You might prohibit such
contracts in every State but one, and
the citizens of every State in the
Union could, through the use of the
mail Or the telegraph, make those
contracts in that one State. The States
opposed to trusts could not discrimin-
ate against goods made under the
legal sanction of another State. The
interstate commerce clause of the
Constitution of the United States
would prevent that. Then assuming
that | am correct in saying that while
the States acting as a unit have the
power to destroy these evils, and that
uniform legislation is not practical in