Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-07-27

the trusts except the rusts themselves,
and no one will tolerate them when the
way is pointed out to escape compulsory
federation. This way has not been point
ed out by the democratic platform. An
effort is made in that direction but it
fails signally in offering any proof that
it would accomplish the desired results.
The democratic demand that laws be en-
acted providing for publicity of the
affairs of corporations, compelling them
to show that they have not n are not
attempting to m~onopoliZe any business
or the production of any article of mer-
chandise is IN a par with The recent
theory that social ostracism'' might
crush the monopolists. Without it's limi-
tations the idea would be re~actionary.
With limitations it would probably re-
solve itself into class legislation and
thereby fail of it's purpose. All remedies
so far suggested aside from those already
mere theories. Bryan himself has al
ready Matched a new theory based on a
system of federal license of corporations.
| 1t is a phantom. The proposition has kept
the theorists busy and will keep them
busy until a feasible solution is hit upon.
In pledging the democratic party to
"unceasing warfare in nation. state n
city against private ~monopolies' the
platform is only bombastic. The nation is
powerless, the state is powerless, the two
together are powerless and no one for
an instant would think that a municipal
ity would have any legislative jurisdic-
ton in a matter affecting the constitu-
tional rights of the individual to buy and
sell. The supreme court has passed upon
the act of congress in 1890. wherein an
effort to control the trusts through in
ter-state commerce was made, and the
court found it inadequate. twenty-five
states have general antitrust laws on
their statutes and these laws have been
enforced as far as applicable. At least
some of them have been enforced, a no.
table exception being in the state of New
York. where the criminal ice trust was
permitted to flourish and rob the poor,
ostensibly because Mayor Van Wyck and
eight other democratic city officials, and
twelve Tammany leaders were ~stockhold-
ers and there We're nine democrats on
the judicial bench.
When the question of constitutionality
is raised, there is a tremendous difficulty
presented in the determination of the
rights Of men to use their money n
property in or out of combinations as
they please. Doubtless the first step to-
: wards solution must come through the
constitution itself. In the last congress
the republican party was willing to offer
the people, an opportunity to decide the
question. An amendment to the consti-
tuition was proposed giving to congress
the power to define, regulate, prohibit
and, if necessary, dissolve trusts and
combinations whether existing in the
form of corporations OF otherwise. The
; proposition was defeated by a vote of
154 to 132, a two-thirds vote being neces-
Sary to its passage. The negative votes
came from the democratic side of the
house and the applause for the result
came from the same quarter. Did they
defeat it because they are not sincere in
!, their opposition to trusts? Did they de-
feat it because they could not trust the
people of the United States, or did they
defeat it because it was a republican
measure and threatened their plan te
manufacture an issue for the cam.
,paign?.