Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-09-21
MR.. BRYAN'S CONSERVATISM.

Baltimore Sun.
The tone of moderation which marks
Mr.. Bryan's treatment of the various
topics touched upon in his letter OF ac-
ceptance will be another disappoint-
ment to those who have been looking,
and perhaps hoping, for some extreme
and radical expression on his part
which might tend to neutralize the good
impression made by his speech OF ac-
| ceptance at Indianapolis. even upon
/ the subject of the currency and the free
coinage OF. silver he uses language which
| ought effectually to dispel the appre-
| hension of those who imagine that with
out the cooperation OF Congress, If
elected President, he would seek to
nulllfy the recent legislation in favor Of
the single or gold standard. After re-
! iterating with entire candor his own
views in favor of the double standard,
consisting of gold and silver, he says.
whether the Senate, now hostile TO BIZ
metallism. can be changed during this
campaign or the campaign of 1902 can
only be determined after the votes are
| counted. but neither the present nor the
| future political complexion of Congress
! has prevented, or should prevent, an
announcement of the party's position
upon the subject in unequivocal terms.
/ Whether or not anything can be done
I in furtherance of his own and the
party's position" upon the subject MI
Bryan frankly Acknowledges would rest
not with him as the Executive, but viii
! Congress, which makes, and alone can
unmake the law. 1t all depends upon
| the future political complexion Of that
| body-the complexion not simply OF the
| Senate. but also of the House.
There could be no better assurance
| than Is here given that the business in
| terests and tranquility of the country
are not likely to be imperiled or dis
| turbed by any rash revolutionary or
| illegal steps on the part of the Execu-
| tive, even though that Executive should
! be Mr.. Bryan. Unfortunately no such
assurance exists or can be given in lie
| case of Mr. Mckinley, whose whole adj
ministration has been history OF ag-
| gressions and entertainments upon the
| Constitution and of the usurpation OF
| powers never exercised by any Execu-
tive In the same conservative spirit
Mr. Bryan treats the important issue of
| trusts. There Is no cry for crusade
against corporations generally or
against any but those combinations of
| capital which the law already brands
as "monopolies" and treats as unlawful.
| lhe forty-frst article of the Declara-
ton of Rights of the people of Mary
! land land probably similar language is
| held in the organic law of every State
| in the Union) declares that moropo-
| lies are odious, contrary to the spirit
of free government and the principles
| of commerce and ought not to be suf-
| fered." Monopolies were once general
! ly the creation OF royal letters patent
the gifts of arbitrary rulers to favor
! ism or persons whom it was desired to
enrich at no cost to the sovereign, but
al the expense OF the people. Nowadays
such monopolies scarcely can be said
to have an existence in the hands of an
! individual. They are commonly found
| in tue hands of corporations and of
/ those combinations of corporate capital
| known as trusts.
| Mr.. Bryan recognizes that the crea-
ton and regulation of corporations is
| the business not of the general govern
ment, but of the States. The States
| can say absolutely, each State for it
| self, what corporations it will allow to
| exist and carry on business within the
/ State limits. 1t can fix the terms and
| conditions upon which corporate privi-
| leges may be enjoyed, the duration OF
/ each charter, the amount of property
which any corporation may own, the
| limits within which it may do business.
! Being artificial persons, the creation
/ of State law, they can have no legal eX
| istence outside OF the State in which
] they have their origin, except by the
| comfy Of nations. A long line of de-
cisions by the Supreme Court Of the
United States have established that this
principle holds between the different
States of the Union, exactly as II does
| between foreign nations. Corporations
created in one State are foreign corpor-
ations in every other State, which can
permit them to do business or exclude
| them from its limits at It's will. Hence
! the great and growing abuse of trusts
is matter properly within State con-
troll. and il is only under the power
| conferred by the Constitution to regu-
| late interstate commerce that Congress
lean interfere at all. At the same time,
inasmuch as the Dingley tariff is gen.
| orally recognized to be the mother Of
! trusts" it Is within the power of Con-
gTess to refrain from giving encour-
/ agement to the growth and exactions
of trusts by the enactment Of such anti
trust breeding laws.
All these conditions Mr.. Bryan in his
letter clearly recognizes. He promises
that which is the plain duty of every
\ President. but which Mr.. Mckinley has
VIGOROUSLY neglected-the faithful ex-
ecution Of existing laws. and. as the
first step in that direction, the appoint
ment of an Attorney General who will
without fear or favor" see TO their en-
forcement. He promises to recommend
"such additional legislation as may be
necessary to dissolve every private
monopoly which does business outside
Of the State of Its origin The enact
ment of such legislation will be, of
course. a matter for the consideration
and in the sound discretion Of Con-
gress s1f." he adds, contrary 10 my
belief and hope. constitutional amend
ment is found to be necessary, I shall
recommend such an amendment as viii,
without impairing any OF the existing
rights of the States, empower Congress
to protect the rights OF the people Of
all the States from injury at the hands
Of individuals or corporations engaged
in interstate commerce. Here. again.