Oakes Republican. (Oakes, N.D.) 1898-1906, 1899-08-11
THE ANTITRUST AMENDMENT.

THE ANTITRUST AMENDMENT.
1t is proposed thtt, in order to
clearly define the attitude of the Re-
publican party UPON the Crust"
question, the cong4kss which meets
next December, in which that party
commands majo1ty IN both houses,
s shall offer for subrhission to the state
legislatures col 6titutional amend
ment comforting y pon congress auth
orlty to leglslate for the regulation of
corporations doin & an interstate bust
ness.
There are not acking jursts who
hold that the pq Fyer already lodged/
in congress by Che Constitution 'sto
regulate commf free" IS sufficient to
enable that body to deal effectively
with trusts. There is considerable
unwlllingness among others, how
ever, to load down that clause of the
Constitution With meanings which,
after all, it is contended, can be at
tributed thereto only by inference or
implication. Attorney General
Griggs, for instance. holds that sthe
great monopolistic corporations
whose formation has awakened such
general disapproval cannot at present
be effectively dealt with by national
legislation. His opinion seems to be
supported by sundry decisions of the
supreme court, and by the example
of ineffectiveness seen in the case of
the interstate commerce commission.
So, for the sake of securing undis-
puted authority in congress, as we'll
as to boldly define the republican op-
position to dangerous and encroach-
ing monopolies, ana aggregations of
capital employee d in restraint,of trade,
it may be the tpart of wisdom for
congress to adopt the suggestion and
propose the constitutional amend
ment held by the strict construc-
tionists to be NECESSARY to the emer
gency, /.
One effect of the passage of such a
measure by the republican congress
would probably pc to promote still
further dissension in the democratic
ranks. Opposition to 'trusts" is a
common feelingIamong the rank and
file of both political parties. But
whereas, when the legal form which
that opposition Shall take comes to
be decided uppn, the republicans
will harmoniously unite in support of
national control Hunder the proposed
amendment, the democracy will prob
ably divide at oAce into two camps;
the old ''state rights" element, espec-
tally in the South lining up against
the amendments & while the element
which really carss more to "down the
trusts than to preserve a tradition
wholly useless in the application
made by the other faction will favo,
the amendment. If, however, nc
such division shs suld occur, the spec.
tacle would be Witnessed of the dem.
ocracy at largo shouting against
trusts but unitedly laboring to defeat
the only practicable proposition TO,
regulating thenl5
An antitrust amendment, thus
proposed by a Republican congress
and fought by al Or most of the dem
ocracy, would bfng about a striking
parallelism to Ahe situation at the
time of the passage of the bill for the
resumption of sPecie payments. The
cry of the republicans then was, F'the
way to resume is to resume!' The
democratic respSnse was, "Resunp
tion means ruina a-though even they
admitted that tn country must some
time get back td| Ia specie basis. Nov
all hands desirefo chit the trusts
If the republican, party proceeds a
!. once to chit theI !" through consti
| tutional amendd ent, the democrats
> cry will be, ID Sn't hit them tina
} way" And thl democracy being
> thus put in the attitude of defending
the trusts, thel campaign ensuing
1 would be one of athe most amusing
} that ever contributed to the gayet5
, of the nation -Rionoor Prass