Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-05-18
Truss, Rule or Ruin.

| 1t is about time for the people of this
country to decide whether or not this gov
eminent is to be a central trust of trusts run
for the sole purpose of advancing the in
terests of the various mammoth trusts re-
gardless of other interests. Few doubt but
what under existing conditions the Influence
of the oil, whiskey AMI sugar trusts, is shap-
ing legislation
At the last presidential election
when the Democratic finance s
came into straits, the trust sub
scribed most literally. There is little doubt
but what the Philadelphia Press and the
New York Press are telling the truth when
they boldly state that Senator Voorhees, has
in bis possession the following memoran-
dunn of Secretary Carlisle:
"On all sugars not above No. l6 Dutch
standard and upon all here the list of other
sugars contained in the original amendment
was left untouched instead of one-sighth
of one cent per pound, As per cent. ad va
lorem."
If this be true, in short if the efforts of
Democrats to secure changes in the sugar
schedule of the tariff bill be true and moth
ing is more susceptible of proof, then it
must be acknowledged that the present ad-
ministration of national affairs is working
in the interests of the greatest trust in the
world. The JOURNALS readers we'll remem
Der how the Democratic platform inveighed
against trusts and demanded not only the
enforcement of existing laws against them
but the adoption of further measures.
What have we as the fruit of those
promises? An attorney general who
while administering the duties of his
Office retains bis lucrative positions as the
paid attorney of trusts. We have tariff
bill before the Senate framed in the inter
ests of the great trusts. We have Pc
culiarly close relation existing between
senator's and the New York Stock Exchange,
between proposed legislation and effect
upon stocks in which senators are believed
| to have heavily invested. 1t certainly is an
alarming condition of affairs when trusts
shape the legislation of this great country
1t is also alarming that secret intimation of
what Congress is to do or not to do is OBJ
tanned by brokers, who are the warm
friends of those high in thescircles of this
administration. 1t will be remembered in
this connection how Mr.. Benedict, Presi
dent Cleveland's broker, enriched himself
by what must have been an intimation be-
forehand that the President would call an
extra session. We are now reading of the
opportunities which senators and all con-
nected with the secrets evidently known to
the sugar trust and the administration have
had to take advantage of rise of "a points
in sugar on the strength of proposed
changes in legislation which these men had
effected.
| The influence of the trust seems to be all
pervasive and corrupt in the extreme. Just
at present it seems to be not only the figure
on the throne but the power behind it. How
ever much it may be argued that trusts are
necessary to cheap production and distrib, =
ton, the fact remains that they are subver-
sive of our form of government. Surely
we ought not to wait for a more startling
illustration of this fact than that which is
now afforded us in connection with the
| Cleveland administration.