The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-08-19
SAVED BY DEMOCRATS.
Legislation Against MOnopolistfc
Combinations Furthercd by
Republicans.

Republicans.
But for democratic action in con-
gress stringent national law against
trusts would be in force to-day. Re-
publicans passed the law in 1890. Dem
| ocrats destroyed it in 1894 and defeated
its reenactnent in 1897. The proof is
easily within the reach of everyone.
1t is distinctly set forth III the laws
passed by congress and is too plain to
be disputed. In the Mckinley tariff
law of 1890 was the following section
| Every contract, combination in the
| form of trust or otherwise, or conspir-
| acy, in restraint of trade or commerce
among the several states, or with for
cign nations, is hereby declared 10 be il
legal" Any person engaging in such
| combination was to be deemed guilty
of misdemeanor, and, on conviction,
fined not to exceed $1,000, or impris-
oned for not more than one year, or
both in the discretion of the court. The
law containing this most sweeping
provision against trusts was passed in
1890 by vote of 164 to 142. Every vote
Tor it was republican and every vote
against it, except two, was democratic.
1t passed the senate by straight vote
of 40 to 30 The only bill ever passed
by congress in the direction of tearing
up the trusts by the roots, in every
state in the union, and in every shape
and form, received almost unanimous
democratic opposition.
In the next congress the democrats
controlled both houses and proceeded
TO extend to the trusts the greatest act
of friendship they have ever received
from any source. No one was more
prominent in this deed than William j.
Bryan, who was member of the ways
and means committee, and one OF the
trainers and champions of the Wilson
tariff law of 1891. The Wilson law
killed the complete and effective pro-
vision against trusts in the Mckinley
law, substituting the following sec
ton, which is of no practical use what
ever: Every combination, conspir-
acy, trust, agreement or contract is
hereby declared to be contrary to pub
lie policy, illegal and void, when the
same is made by or between two or
more persons or corporations either Of
whom is engaged in importing any ar
ticle from any foreign country into the
United States" The Mckinley law
placed heavy penalty upon trusts of
every hind and everywhere in the Unit
ed States; the Wilson law swept this
full safeguard away and limited the
penalty to importers alone. Mr.. Bryan
worked and talked for the Wilson bill
necessarily. He and his fellow demo-
Gratis in congress tore down the wall
that shut ont trusts, and they came
trooping ir all over the country as the
result of the democratic overthrow OF
the law of 1890.
More than this, the democrats in the
last congress prevented the restoration
of the provision against trusts in the
present, or Dngley,, tariff law. The re-
publicans had no ma jority in the SEN
ute and democratic senators would not
permit the antitrust clause of the Nc
Kinley law to be inserted in the Ding
ley law. The new congress is repub-
lican in both branches. Fer the first
time since 1890 republicans have the
power to put back into a tariff law the
section which they passed before and
which declared all trust combinations
no matter what their form or location,
to be illegal and subject to fine of
$1,000 and imprisonment for one year.
A comparison of the Mckinley law of
1890 and the Wilson law of 1894 will
convince any investigator that the
democratic party, with Bryan as one of
its most prominent and Jealous lead
ers, stepped in and saved the trusts at
the most critical time in their history.
The official evidence is within the reach
of ALL and it is incontestable.-St.
Louis Globe-Democrat