The San Francisco call., 1899-04-10
SILVER TO BE SUBoRDINATED
BRYAN AND HIS HOBBY MUST
BE SIDETRACKED.
Attempt Will Be Made to Charge the
Republican Party With Fos-
tering Capitalization Of
Capital.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK, April 9-The Washing
ton correspondent of the Herald tele-
graphs:
Down with the trusts" will be the
battle cry of the Democrats in the next
Presidential campaign, if the plans Of
some of the leading men in that party
can be carried out.
When Mr.. Bryan was nominated in
1896 an effort was made to have him
subordinate the silver issue in his cam
paign and put opposition to the trusts
in the foreground. 1t was urged that,
if he would do this, he could hold in
line many of the Democrats in the
East who would not follow him in op-
position to sound money. He re-
fused to take this course, and went
down to defeat on the silver issue. Now
the same element of the party is trying
to sidetrack Mr. Bryan and put up
some other man on a platform in which
the silver issue will be subordinate to
the trust issue.
Republican politicians are alive to
the situation, and some Of the shrewd-
est men in the party believe that steps
should be taken at once to put the
party III d pOSllIOA W 1AACOS SAAO OPPOSt
tion on this issue.
Representative Lands of Indiana,
who has returned to Washington after
a visit to his district, talked yesterday
with Secretary Gage and other mem
bers of the administration, urging that
some action be taken at once to put the
party on record against trust. He said
the people of the Middle West were
aroused in antagoniSm to the trusts;
that small interests were being sacrl-
feed and that if the administration did
not in some way, not to be misunder-
stood, avow it's antagonism to the
trusts. the question would become very
prominent in the next campaign and
dangerous to the Republican party In
that section.
Mr.. Lands is not the only man who
hopes that the administration Will be
placed on record squarely in opposl-
tion to trusts, and while it will not be
admitted that the present activity of
the Department of Justice in institut-
ing suits under the antitrust law Is
intended for political effect there is rea-
son to believe it is largely due to a de-
sire on the part of the administration
to have a record to point to that Will
contradict any charge that may be
made by the Democrats that the Re-
publican party favors and fosters trusts
and combinations of capital. Consider
able progress has already been made in
the direction of making q record for
the administration in opposition to
trusts.
Since Mr. Mckinley became President
the two most important suits that have
been won by the Government under the
antitrust laW-the Traffic Association
suits-have been decided by the Su-
preme Court of the United States. An
other important caSe-that of the pipe
trusts now before the court, and
within the last week suit has been
brought in Cincinnati by direction Of
the Department of Justice against the
Chesapeake and Ohio Association,
coal mines of the Kanawaha Valley in
West Virginia.
Other trusts are under investigation
by the department and it is probable
suits will be instituted. If either the
pipe trust case CIR the Chesapeake and
Ohio case is won by The Government q
precedent will be established that will
enable successful suits to be instituted
against many more trusts and combina-
tions.
Whether these suits are won or not
the Republican party will be able in the
next campaign to meet the Democratic
charges by pointing to the record of the
administration in the enforcement of
the antitrust law. 1t will be ,contended
that everything has been done by the
Mckinley administration that is pos
sible under. the antitrust law, which
enables the Attorney General to pro
ceed against trusts only when they
operate as a restraint upon commerce
between the States or with foreign
countries.