The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-29
REPUBLICANS AND THE TRUSTS.

The Galveston Tribune, always bright
and generally quite discerning, is disposed
to be sarcastic. 1t says;
The next congress will give the republic
can party the chance OF its life. II It crap
pies with the trusts and downs them II will
do much to Offset the bunder of the Phillp-
pines Then II IL puts into effect a phillp-
pine policy Ike the Cuban policy II will throw
the next campaign back upon the issue OF
1895, This Is not n good programme from a
partisan democratic standpoint. but il is good
from patriotic standpoint. and II the repub-
Iean party falls to execute n. all cunning
has departed from It.
The pretense that the republican party
is opposed TO trusts, or that it will make
any real or serious effort to suppress these
great combinations is so very preposter-
Gus that 1t is provocative only OF mlrth.
Indeed. the organs might as well 90 back
to their old tune, that trusts are only an
economic development" and not inju-
rious to any one. That is the song they
have been singing all the while, until The
rapid organization OF these concerns has
alarmed the people and crystalized public
sentiment in the direction of their sun
preston.
But the republicesI leaders and organs
have become nervous over the situation,
and are seeking some convenient method
OF escape from the vlrtuous wrath OF the
people, Recently leading adminlstra-
ton newspaper printed this peculiarly sig
nificant expression:
The democrats are seeming to grow more
ana more certain that a Arm stand against
trusts Is the thing, But how are they going
TO get up an issue with the republicans on
that score? The republican platform win
doubtless declare lust as strongly against
trusts as the democratic.
There is the point OF course the repub-
lican platform will declare against IN.
trusts--a shrewd endeavor to befog the
public mind on the subject That much
is TO be expected; but will the people he
deceived by 1t? II such declaration Is
TO be incorporated in the platform II wiz
DC under an agreement with the party
managers that 1t is put there for campaign
purposes only. Who can doubt this promo
sition In the light OF the record OF the
party on this subject 1t will b. but an
other instance OF platform expression 10 be-
disregarded after election. as was the case
with the civil service reform pledge made
at st. Louis in 1896.
But why speculate on this thing? It is
SO plain that the veriest tyro In National
politics can see 1t. AS suggested ~ that
very able democratic paper. the Indianapo-
lis Sentinel, the organized wealth OF the
country-that is 10 say. the trusts-owns
the republican organization. 1t makes Its
platforms. II names its candidates. 1t
dictates its policy. In 1896 it refused to
permit the question of trusts to be men
toned in the st. Louis platform. It noini-
mated William Mckinley for president. 1t
elected him. In Ohio republican attorney
general attacked the Standard OIL com.
pany and other trusts and Mark Hanra's
State convention only a few days ago ie-
fused him a denomination Mr.. Mckinley
Is VIGOROUSLY owned by the trusts. Since
he became president he has done their
bidding At sil times and has never even.
said ono word against them. although talk