The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1894-01-25
Let Olney Resign.

CIy oSatuel oPP'o
signed to prevent and punish a
species of conspiracy for the mono
pol z,tion of trade which seriously
thre atened the welfare aud even the
b-rty Of tue people.
Uuuer the Harrison admini.tra-
ton the xeskling lawyer Miller,
who held the post of attorney gen
eral, made only pretense of trying
10 enforce the statute. His failure
encouraged the extension of the
us,s and the bold playing Of such
banco games upon the public as
t at exploited by the coinage com
Dinat OF.
This neglect to enforce law
passed for the protection OF the
psol lie against ,onspiia; sizes Of cspi
tai was all i'm oortant factor In the
election of 1892 Tne popular
anger and discomfort were great.
The DEMOCRACY in its national plat.
form ma the neglect one Ct the
counts in its indictment Of the Har.
rison ad administration. 1t solemnly
p edged itself to do better. 1t
promised to enforce with all posi-
bic vigor the laws already on the
statute boz k, aud to enact others if
these proved insufficient for the re-
preston of the evil
In his inaugural address Mr.
Cleveland, elec.ed upon these
promises, reiterated them as pledges
of his administration.
When the president, thus doubly
vowed TO the prosecution of the
trust conspirators, selected MIR.
Oiney for his attorneys neral the
appointment was greeted with sur
prise amounting Almost to conster.
nation. Mr.. Oln-y was an able
lawyer and a man af high personal
reputation. But he was widely
known to be the legal counsellor of
several of the most notorious con.
spiratoIs in violation of the anti
trust law. He vas McLeod's ad.
wiser in the great Reading and New
England railway combination, whose
financial bubble blowing ended in
fearful disaster and was chief
cause of the panic of 1898. As
counsel for the president Of the
Whisky trust he had staked his
legal reputation upon the PROPOSE
tion that the whole antitrust law
was unconstitut onal, null and void.
In its concern for the success of
the Democratic administration and
for the ful6lment of Democratic
promises, the World felt and said
that Mr.. O.nty,in spite of his ability
and his high personal character, did
not seem TO be proper person to be
placed at the head of the law de.
partment under an administration
pledged to the enforcement and the
extension of the antitrust laws.
The first year of Mr.. Olney's
term is not yet ended. Yet he has
offi sally justified this opinion Of his
unhtness beyond further douot or
question
He has not only done next to
nothing to enforce the laws in 4aes.
tion, but he has rendered it i'm
possible for this department to DO
anything in that way here after so
long as he shall remain at its head
In his oil ,ial report he has m ade
an argument for the trusts more
Elective than any tnat their hired
attorneys are likely to present in
any case which he may bring to
trial. He has eff ia ly sneerei at
the misccnception of those who
imagine that the law was ever il.
tended TO forbid or prevent the con-
spiraces against which it avowedly
directed. He has argued that the
monopolies attempted and accom-.
plished by the trusts are no more
illegal ttau any ownership of
property or any commercial trans.
action. lie has gone further and
commended in his { flioial report that
congress has no constitutional
power to enact any law to forbid
these consuiracies of monopoly.
la brief. Mr.. O.ney, as attorney.
general ulder an administration
pledged tc prosecute and destroy
trusts, has made himself their mos
tfecli i've 1YOcate, and has written