The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-10-03
Bryan Drops His Old Issue and Changes
Base Again.
IMPERIALISM IS NO GOOD.
Record of the Two Parties-The Republicans
Have Restricted Trusts, and the DEM
ocrats Have Favored Them.
Read the Facts.

The Democrats are abandoning what
they called the Issue OF imperialism"
and are pushing the trust question
10 the front in the latter days of the
campaign Tie attempt to frlghten
the east by the bogy Of imperialism"
did not work In Vermont and Maine
they are afraid 10 raise the Issue Of
new territory among the voters of the
west, SO they have started on new
track. The Republican party is ready
to meet this, as IL has the other ques-
tons that they have attempted to push
one subject about which caution or
any consideration for their record
should enloln silence, II Is their att
tude toward the trusts, for their
friendship TO the so called trusts has
been repeatedly shown
Trusts are combinations of capital
formed In every prosperous country To
prevent the destructive waste of com
ton and TO so Increase the output as to
make small returns profitable enough
In the aggregate TO pay tho expenses.
They have often decreased the cost OF
necessities TO the consumer, as In the
ease of oil They have often proved n
benefit TO the common people, and they
have their reasonable side Hut the
Republican party IL not defending
trusts. and II was one of the first po
| litlcal organizations to denounce mo
nopoly and the restriction of trade. II
| has been the only party which has
enacted federal legislation against the
| trusts, aud WIS the first TO specify the
means by which they should be sup
pressed when 1t demanded their sup
| preston.
Republican Trust Legislation.
The first blow against the trusts was
| the Interstate commerce law, II Repub-
lican measure, introduced by II Repub-
| lican and put In force by the party.
| THIS has been amended from time To
time and has been approved by the su
| preme court. Under its provisions the
great railroad pool was declared lille
gal and attempts to restrict competi
ton In the commerce between states
have been prevented
Closely following this law was III,
resolution IN the Republican conven
tlon of 1855 which not only attacked
the trusts, but proposed n remedy fol
them. The writer OF this resolve was
William Mckinley, now candidate foI
president Of the United States. The
difficulties met In the conflict of the
laws Of states with those OF the feder-
| al law In proceedings against trusts
finally led to the Introduction OF n
sweeping measure, proposed as CON
stltutlonal amendment, under which 1t
would he possible for all the states to
proceed against injurious nggregatlons
of capital. This was the amendment
proposed:
ARTICLE XVI
Section J. All powers conferred by this article
shall extend TO tho several states the territories
the District Of Columbia and all territory under
tina sovereignty and subject to the jurisdiction Of
the United States.
See. g. Congress shall have the power to define,
regulate. prohibit or dissolve trusts. monopoliea
or combinations whether existing In the form oil
NAV continue 10 e,srciss s,cb noser ~ any man.
ner not In conflict with tho laws OF the United
States
n,os.iSn ~, tsis 's, a'fs po"sr ~ e''otes .'
lion.
The Democratic Record.
What did the Democrats do, when
| they were faccd by this measure, that
would prohibit the trustsf They held
caucus and decided that 1t would be
dangerous precedent toward the cen
tralIzation OF government and would
Violate the sacred principle OF state
rights; hence they decided 10 oppose It,
aud when the vote was cast the meas
ure was defeated, the vote standing
lJi In favor and 132 against, lacking
the twO-thirds vote necessary to It's
passage. Every Democrat but four
voted against It, while tho Republicans