The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-04-03
TRUSTS NOT THE ISSUE.
DEMOCRATS WILL NOT BRING THE
NATTER UP IN CONGRESS.
Will Treat Their Existence ~ .
Necessary Result of the Preset
Financial and Economic Policy

SPECIAL Dispatch 10 the Pos; Intelligence
WASHINGTON. April IL; Is a matter
much discussed Al prsseE- whether the
Democratic minority IN the session o. con
gress this winter vii snaeavc- 10 start an
anti trust agitation. and thus lay n a
stock ~ political arr ammunition for use in
tile EEK national campaign. The impress
son ~. however aTogg the leading DEM
ocratlc politicians that this will not be
done The policy 81 the party managers
In congress. il the present programme is
carried oaE. vii Dr. net 10 treat the forula-
ton Of trusts as an issue IN Itself bu, 10
uasfst tdat these trusts are mercy the con
sequence 81 tire present financial and
economic policy Of the country. and that
the evt! cannot De cured 5y anT sort OF leg-
lssat-oD aimed directly az Tn trusts. There
fore, it IS not expected that any demand
for anti trusi legislation al the next SEES =
SION Of congress vii. come from the minor
ity as a party.
On he either hand the Republicans will
BE likely not 10 run the risk OF putting
themselves On thc defensive by entering
upon the subject In a way TO make the
question Of trusts a national issue and tae
general conclusion = that i viii not pay
anything Hike a. prominent a part in cam
i'assR discussion as az first < ance seemed
probable. The Democrats VIII be content
10 hold up the trusts as "a horrible exam
pie OF government unseer a policy which
does not meet with the,r approval. and the
Republicans may geI al they wan, out of
the subject BY showing that the opposi-
ton does not propose or even grant the
possibility Of legislation for the entai;ment
or control Of trusts. and that as far as
Federal power can go the Republicans have
gone IN the enactment Of the Sherman
antitrust Jaw
The Gold Democrats who were willing
10 Join The regulars In an antitrust tssaie
may attempt to organize INDEPENDENTLY
on that and similar propositions such as
outlined by Mr.. Watter-on, but there are
TWO serious difficulties in their way. I'M
less their only object Should he To help
Mr.. Bryan by drawing few votes away
from the Republican presidential caniI-
date. In the FIRST place /: is pretty vel,
understood that some of the mos, active
trust promoters In the country are man
whose snpp3rt would have to be relied
upon 10 sustain party constructed ac-
eordng to the suggestions Of Mr.. Watt
terson. In the second place this same
set OF men who agree that Bryan Dam
ocracy Is not their Democracy. and ;hat
President Mckinley is wrong In almost
everything, are themselves hopeIessly d.
viaed on the question ~ expansion MANY
~ them would be- willing TO support Nc
KiHley for another term II IL were not
for his expansion policy.
Others agree with him entirely on that
point. but declare that they cannot stand
his tariff views and the fact that he L. a
Republican. Therefore while for one
reason or another they are opposed to
existing political organizations, and would
be willing TO declare for free trade and
sound money. with a little dash Of anti
trust sauce. the question 81 expansion
threatens to keep them divided and TO
prevent their putting an INDEPENDENT
Ticket i'm the field in 1870 to make an anti
trust free trade god-standard campaign.
paign.
IL Is thought by many. too, that the
anti-mperialIsIn cry that Mr.. Bryan is
yoking with silver VIII fall short as A
party Issue for the reason that every
political party or organization in the
country has In II both expansionsts and
undergraduates. Many Chicago plat
form Democrats ard Silver Republicans.
who are In The Bryan combination. be-
leve In hoiding the Philippines and
everything else I'm the way Of territory
that we have our hands on. ana 4 con-
siderable number Of the Eastern Reruh-
lcans, who believe earnestly In prote
and gold ara as radically opposed 10
holding the Philippines as is Mr. BRYAN.
This, go n great extent. dep~ives the eues-
tion 81 expansion Of the qualities neces-
sary 10 a leading party issue