The evening times., 1900-04-26
Echoes From Trust Conventions.

AS far as can be gathered from our de-
spatches. the only thing that Mark Hanna
did not haye his way about in connection
with the Ohio Convention was the trust
plank in the platform. II is asserted that
the document which Mr.. GrosvenOr car
Tied with him from Washington for the
convention to adopt was bare of any refer
ence 10 the trusts. II was expected that
Administration influence would be strong
enough to dodge this question in the Ohio
platform. but for some reason il was
not. The local politicians apparently
were afraid to go before the people without
some word concerning unlawful combina-
tions. and so a very rotten and slippery
plank was whitfield out and inserted to
meet the emergency.
II is not one TO injure the feelings of Il
Donopolistie plutocrat; neither will ii
serve any useful purpose in humbugging
the public On its face the Ohio trust dec
laration goes to the extreme limit of in
nervousness II IS so wOrded as not to de-
nounee any existing trust, even by impIi-
cation. 1t refers only generally 10 threat
ening combinations of capital" Even this
mild evasion was not permitted without
hard struggle. The Administration forces
fought against it in the eopmittee on res
olutions for hours FinaIiy they were COM
PEELED to accept it.
There is plenty OF reason for believing
that at least three Of the most unpopular
and oppressive trust combinations in the
country have given notice to Mr. Hanna
and the President that they do not intend
20 be held up 10 public scorn in the Re
publican platforms Of the year. no matter
how necessary that course may be re-
garded by the machine managers. They
have already allowed their interests to be
menaced in such ways more than is COM
Portable. II the party which they own.
support. and provide with the means Of
corruption cannot stand by them openly.
they demand at least that it shall keep
quiet about them. In view of this senti-
ment among the magnates who control the
Administration. it is probable that there
will be a desperate fight over the trust
plank in the Republican National platform
OF 1909. The result is very apt TO be a
colorless utterance similar to that at Co
lumbus-
Although present in the flesh only in
Ohio. Hanna was largely in evidence at the
convention in Indiana, the scene of a great
party revolt against the Porto Rican policy
Of his Administration. The machine buck
and gag evidently had been vigorously re-
sorted to for the rebelIious Hoosiers con-
cealed their wrath and endorsed Mr.. Nc
Rinley's violation Of his plain duty with
out a>fnurmur. They did, however. ven
ture upon little show OF spirit. in advo-
eating ''the early construction Of the Nj
caragua Canal under the exclusive control
of the United States" The Wisconsin
trust convention did what i was told to
and said: we rely upon our party to deal
with and solve the problems that have
come to Us as a result of the Spanish war
in a manner that will reflect credit upon
the party"
While the Ohio Indiana. and Wisconsin
conventions we're completely Hanna af-
fairs. the same cannot be said of the one
up at Harrisburg in Pennsylvania. At its
sitting the name of President Mckinley
did not evoke a single cheer, nor did its
two thousand word platform contain SOL
itary reference to Cuba, Porto Rico. or the
Philippines. The National Administration
was perfuDetorily endorsed. and that was
about all But there was plenty Of talk
in that convention which did not get into
the record Of its proceedings. The Penn
sylvania Republicans are not pleased with
Hanna. and they are determined tG make
him feel sorry for his high-minded and
surprising action in knitting Colonel Quay
in the interests Of the campaign barrel
1t is very evident that there is a decided
rift in the Hanna machine lutte in the di-
rection of the Keystone State
Scanning the Republican State platforms
so far promulgated. they seem to suggest
shifty and non-committal one at Phiia-
delphia in June. The Administration Is
mortally afraid of the trust and Constitu-
tionai issues of the campaign, and will go
just as far as it dares in dodging them.
The Ohio declarations seem to promise this
beyond much question.
m