Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-20

w.
Referring to the effort of the dcmoc-
racy to masquerade as peculiarly the foe
Of trusts, the Philadelphia Press says
the effort will fail If the republican
party places itself right before the coun-
try on this question. "Thc republican
party" says that paper, has nothing
to fear from this question of trusts if
the people are fully and accurately in
formed on the subject. They should be
so informed
The position Of the republican party
on this question. as we have heretofore
pointed out, Is shown in the fact that it
enacted the antitrust law of 1890 and
that it was Il republican administration
that made the only serious effort to en-
force that act. The succeeding demo.
cratic administration continued in a per.
functory way the proceedings begun by
its predecessor, but SO far as possible,
through its attorney generals, it dis
credited the antitrust law. Mr.. Olney
pronounced the act defective and
inadequate and his successor at the
head of the Department of Justice,
Judge Harmon, took the same view
of it. The second Cleveland admin
istration made no earnest effort to
enforce the law and 1t utterly disrc-
garded the antitrust provision of the
Wilson tariff act, which was inserted to
meet the recommendations of the at
torney general of that administration.
SO far, therefore, as legislation is con
cerned and efforts to enforce it the re-
publican party long ago placed itself
before the country in opposition to
trusts and combinations. The present
administration is in accord with this
position. In his inaugural address Pres
ident Mckinley said: "Thc declaration
of the party now restored to power has
been in the past that of Opposition to
all combinations of capital organized in
trusts, or otherwise, to control arbi-
trarily the condition of trade among our
citizens and it has supported such legis-
lation as will prevent the execution of
all schemes to Cypress the people by I'M
due charges or their supplies, or by I'M
just rates for the transportation of their
products to market This purpose will
be steadily pursued, both by the en-
forcement of the laws now in existence
and the recommendation and support
of such new statutes as may be neces-
sary to carry them into effect" There
can be no doubt that the administration
adheres to this declaration and will be
found ready to approve any legislation
which nnnppnSS NAV n1nIt fn,, thn SIn
preston of trusts.
Thus the republican party has already
placed itself right before the country on
this question, but there is something
more to be done 1t has been demon.
strated that the antitrust act of 1890 is
insufficient. There are some combina-
tons it will reach, but there are others
to which it does not apply. Additional
legislation is needed and it will be the
duty of the next congress to supply this.
Its authority in this matter is not I'M
limited, but it is believed not to have
been exhausted in the existing lcgisla-
ton. There are other means of reaching
the m~onopolistic combinations than are
already provided by law and the Fifty
sixth congress will have no more i'm
portant duty to perform than that of
dealing with this question, which has
assumed paramount Importance in the
public mind.
The republican party is on record
against all combinations of capital or
ganiZed in trusts, or otherwise, to con
troll arbitrarily the condition of trade
among our citizens. A republican con
gress must not fail to give this record
whatever support is within its power.