The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-11-01
M'KINLEY AND TRUSTS.
NO ACTION TAKEN BY HIM TO
SUPPRESS THEM.

| Four Years as Governor and Four as Pres
neutrality-suspicious. of Congressman
Gaines, of Tennessee, With Attorney
General Frank Monnett, of Ohio.
During the four years Mckinley
| was Governor of Ohio not single law
was passed against trusts and no pros
ecutions were instituted. Although
Mr.. Mckinley has been President al
most four years not a single law
against trusts has been passed and
the administration has failed to en-
force the antitrust law of 1890, hay
ing filed but three suits during the
four years, although trusts have in
creased a hundred-fold during that
thine. Congressman John w. Gaines,
of Tennessee, who attended the Ma
tional Convention of the Association
of Democratic Clubs in Chicago, be-
fore leaving for home discussed this
important fact. He said:
"Mr. Mckinley was four years Gov
ernor of the trust-ridden State of Ohio,
yet during his entire administration
not one law was passed against trusts.
This is proven by the following cor
respondence, which l will show you:
Washington, June D. 1900.
"'The Hon. Frank Monnett, Column
bus, Ohio:
"'Was any antitrust law enacted
while Mckinley was Governor Of
Ohio?
"'JOHN W. GAINES
"Here is the reply of the same date:
"'None and no prosecutions insti-
tuted.
CRANK F. S. MONNETT.'
General Monnett, you remember,
was four years Attorney General of
Ohio, and until the Republicans turned
him out, and that, too, without indoors
ing his brilliant record in fighting
trusts. The Democrats did indorse
his record, however, in fighting trusts
but went down in defeat. The Legis-
lature adjourned in Ohio last spring
after refusing, over the protests of the
Democrats, to pass any antitrust leg
islation, General Monnett saying that
every antitrust resolution offered this
winter was voted down at the dicta-
ton of the bosses at Washington and
the trust magnates of New York.
"I cannot believe that we (he Re-
publican parity will escape punish
ment, and l believe it will come this
fall Why should not the party be
punished when the men who control
its actions disregard the will of the
people. Although the Russell bill
was bill No. 10, it was side tracked by
the lobbyists and held back until near
the adjournment and then, over the
protest of some of the best men of the
party and almost all of the Democratic
members, it was defeated. This was
a Reputation of the party platform
and the sentiment of the party
"In addition to this failure of the
Republican party to keep its promises
as to State antitrust laws, over the
protests of the Democrats in the Uni
ted States Senate. the Republicans Of
that body, as a unite, refused to enact
any antitrust legislation. although
the House had sent them a bill for
which every Democrat voted. while
eight Republicans voted against it..
The Republicans smothered this bill
and prevented its passage by referring
it to the Republican Judiciary Commit
| tee, where it now sleeps and will con-
tinue to sleep until the Democrats get
in power.
"Why, do you know that Mr. Nc
Kinley has been President nearly four
years and no antitrust laws have been
| passed, and in addition to that, he
| and his Attorney General, Mr.. Griggs,
have failed to enforce the antitrust
act of 1890, having filed only three
suits during this administration
against trusts, although trusts have
| increased a hundred-fold during this
administration.
"This clearly shows, to my mind.
that the Republican party has refused
| and failed as a party, and the Repub-
lican officials, too, to enforce the law,
to kill the goose that lays the Doodle
egg, and that for the people to crush
trusts, we must turn the Democrats
into power. We refer with pride to
the record of the Democrats in Texas,
who crushed, with a State and anti
trust law, foreign trust oil concern,
and to the present fight of the Demo-
Gratis in Nebraska against trusts, as
well as to the great pipe case recently
decided by the Supreme Court of the
United States that was begun in my
own State by Democratic officials and
prosecuted successfully. l believe
that the people will place the Demo-
Gratis in power, headed by Bryan, who
is deadly enemy of monopoly, trusts
and combines and is the unimpeach-
able and courageous friend of the
Masses"
We Need Idealism.