The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-04-14
HOW TO ABOLISH TRUSTS
1T CAN NEVER BE DONE BY SIMPLY
PASSING "ANTI-TRUST" LAWS.
Scheme of the Old Party Leaders to
Start Tariff Agitation and Side
track Financial Reform.
Special to The Representative.

Special to The Representative.
Washington, D. c., April 5, 1896
When the tariff bill passed the house
on last Wednesday, by strict party
vote (the Republicans voting for it, and
the Democrats against it), the Popu-
lists, Joined by some Of the silver Re-
publicans, united in refusing to vote
They did this to emphasize the fact
that present hard times are not caused
by the inequalities and determinations
in either the present Democratic tariff
OF the proposed Republican tariff They
old 1t to emphasize the fart that general
prosperity cannot be res. .Ored by any
tariff legislation, however wise or just !;
and also to give notice to the country
that they will not permit the tariff or
any minor questions to sidetrack or di-
vert attention from the overshadowing
and vital issues of financial and mono
poly reform.
At the last meeting of the Populst
caucus, which was attended by the Pop
ulist senators and congressman, a
strong, clear-cut, and vigorous state
ment was issued to the voters Of the
country showing that the hard times
and depression in business has been due
to the gold-standard and to monopoly
rule, and that nothing will restore pros
perity except to right these great
wrongs The address is a very strong
document, and should be read by every
voter in America.
1t will probably be two months or
more before the tariff bill will pass the
senate. There will no doubt be many
changes made.
Every day there crops out fresh evil
dence that the Republican politicians,
and many of the Democratic politicians
are alike hopeful that the tariff question
can be made an issue sufficiently live
for them to sidetrack the financial ques-
tion, and go into the next campaign
with another sham battle over the tariff
A number Of sO-called free silver Demo-
cratic leaders seem to be a party to this
scheme also. 1t is evident that this is
what would happen were it not for the
existence and vigilance of the Peoples
party.
The Democratic party in 1892 fooled
a majority of the voters into believing
that prosperity could be restored and
maintained under the gold standard
with a Democratic tariff The Republi-
can party in 1896 succeeded in fooling
a majority of the voters into believing
that prosperity could be restored and
with a Republican tariff The people
will soon learn that the country suf-
fered from stagnation of business, lock-
outs, strikes, falling prices, and hard
times alike under a Democratic tariff
as we'll as under Republican tariff
This will clear the atmosphere; this will
convince every intelligent voter that
no tariff legislation can restore pros
perity; that the real cause of the evils
lies elsewhere; that it is the result Of
bad financial legislation and monopoly
rule. And these will be the clear cut
issues that the Peoples party will force
to the front in the campaign of 1895
and 1900
HOW TO ABOLISH TRUSTS.
The Democratic politicians who are
anxious to make the tariff the leading
issue in the next campaign are making
desperate efforts to create the impress
sion that the Republican tariff is the
parent of all trusts, and that the way
tc abolish trusts (Which they style one
of the greatest curses of the country is
by adopting a. low Democratic revenue
tariff. 1t is also noticeable that RepuD-
lican politicians and gold bugs are de-
nouncing trusts, and seem to be anxious
to make them an issue in the future.
Mr. Cleveland in his last message to
congress denounced trusts as one of the
greatest curses of our present civiliza-
congress was powerless to deal with
them, and that with the states laid the
remedy. On the other hand, the Lexow
committee, which has recently finished
its sham investigation Of trusts in New
York reports to the state Legislature OF
New York that trusts are a great evil
but that it is not practicable for states
to deal with these evils. THE remedy
lies with congress-" says the committee.
Again, President Mckinley in his in
augural address denounces trusts as
severely as any Populist or other pa
triot could. but he points to no remedy,
either state or national.
The remarkable thing about all of
this is that none of these pretended
opponents of trusts will favor or SUP
port any measure which would effective
ly destroy trusts. Trusts can never be
abolished by passing antitrust laws.
They can only be abolished by remov-
ing the causes that produce them. In
stead of chopping off the top Of the
poisonous weed, from which three new