Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-08-10
HONESTY THE BEST POLITICS.


trust question from new point of
| observation. II came from the Hon.
| William Lorimer. the Congressman
who represents the greatest INDUS
| trial district in the country-a dis
trict containing not less than 100000
laboring men skilled aud unskilled.
The burden of the interview, the
thought which constantly REQUIRED
and was specially emphasized, was
that in the next campaign the Re
publican party should resort to no
buncombe, but be candid and cour-
ageous, quite irrespective of Demo
cratic promises and buster. In a
word, Congressman Lorilner believes
that honesty Is the best politics.
Mr.. Lorimer is IA member Of the
nonpartisan commission, created by
act Of Congress last summer, charg-
ed with the duty collate informa.
ton and consider and recommend
Legislation to meet the problems
presented by labor, agriculture and
capital This involves inquiry into
the relations of trusts to industry and
the interest of the Industrial classes.
The subject has been forced upon
his attention, therefore, both by the
nature OF his constituency ana by
the special esponsibility put upon
him as II member of the labor com
mission The broad proposition
that no mere buncombe should be
INDUCED in is enforced by the fact
that the Republican party is in a
position now to enact whatever natl
onal legislation, if any, the trust stu
alton calls for. 1t is all very well
for party out or power to make
promises as to what it would do If it
were intrusted with the reins of gov
eminent. Not infrequently neither
party holds all three of the reins--
the Presidency, the Senate and the
| House The Democrats held them
/ all during the first half Of Cleve-
lands administration, and that for
| the first time since the repeal of the
| Missouri compromise The result
was the free-trade tariff which pros
! trated the industries OF the country
and turned vast armies of working
men into involuntary tramps. The
| Republicans did not have complete
control of the last Congress, but viii
| have of the next. Whatever excuses
may be made for nOn-enactment by
The Fifty Fifth Congress, no possible
excuse could be given for failure to
pass a law during the long session of
! the new Congress, carrying out
whatever policy the party really
| fayors. 1t follows ineXorably that
! it will not do for the Republican
national convention to promise to do
what il failed 10 do when it had the
opportunity. Three years ago it
promised To restore protection and
remove the danger Of unsouud money
and the people trusted the party to
keep that promise. But if it had
been in power at the time mere
promises would have been decided
rs empty hypocrisy.
Mr.. Lorimer does not attempt to
outline "a policy for Congress. 1t
would be presumptous for any man
To do that, and especially out of
place in member of the commits
sion ou labor and capital. That com-
mission H. body should do that.
Such was the object of It's creation.
To deal merely generalities would
he am evasion OF responsibility.
Butthc Congressman from the sec
oud Illinois district does point out
some of the difficulties ia the way of
| logislatioG First, the original
trust -ystem-the system against
which the anti-trustact OF Congress
was directed-has been abandoned.
Within the contemplation of that
national statute trusts have been
/ dissolved. Joint stock companies.
or institutions, 20 use Mr. Lorimer's
term, no longer combine; but cor
operations have been formed with
millions and in some cases hundreds
Of millions Of capital the plan of
procedure in such cases being pre-
cisrly the same as the plan Of pro-
cedure for all other joint stock COM
p9uir-, from the least TO the greatest.
| II there is any way to prevent the
great combinations of capital with
out destroying ALL it has not been
suggested by any one. No one has
suggested that am attempt be made
10 tiN a maximum limit in this re-.
spect
Mr.. Iorimer coucrives the exist
ence az widespread prejudice
among AN classes Of people against
trusts, but ne insists that il remaius