The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-30
TRUSTS A GREAT ISSUE.
Representative Iett Says Tint Hi
nois Is Democratic.


Representative Jet. of Illinois, who is
one of the best known OF the younger cir
Gle of Congressman, in letter to friends
in this city, says that he Is engaged In ae-
tive campaign work in his district. the
Eighteenth, feels confident of reelection.
and gives it as his opinion that Illinois will
be found in the Democratic column when
the campaign shall have closed. Mr.. Jetfs
district embraces the counties of Bond
Madison, Montgomery. Moultrie, and Shell
by. in a recent Ie ter he says:
imperialism and trusts are the only is
sues which one Eoars of and the only is
sues which seem to deeply interest the
people. 1t is no longer a question in the
minds of the people as to whether or not
there are trusts and monopolies abroad in
the lana. There are many who can rise up
and bear witness to the great evils they
have done and oppres5ion they have
brought. Their presence is known and
their direful effects have been severely
felt and experienced during the last few
years throughout the length and breadth
OF every State in this Union. They exist
under different names and have different
titles. but yet have common purpose
the monopoly OF manufacture, the monop-
oily of production, and the destruction CT
competition as well as the control of the
cost to the consumer and user OF articles
of necessity and of common use.
Has the Attorney General OF the United
States undertaken to use the power that
is given in the act of June 2, 1890, to sup
press these great evils? The answer
comes from every source in the negative
II the Attorney General had taken ho.d
of this matter when he should. in my
humble judgment. the people would not be
bearing the burdens that have become
more burdensome daily
Who has tried to enforce the law dur
ing the present Administration in OPPOSE
ton to these trusts? Whose duty is it to
see that the Federal laws are admins
tered? 1t is the duty of the Attorney
General, unoer and by the direc ion of the
Executive of the United States, to see that
the laws are duly administered and en-
forced
II tell my constituents that they may
search the records of all the courts in the
country, and they will not find cna case
upon the docket This is the position of
the Republican party in its relation to
trusts. This is where the party stands
that in the last session of Congress at
about the moment of adjournment brought
in resolution for a constitutional
amendment which was so vicious
in its provisions that no matter how much
a man might be opposed TO trusts he
could not support it.
What has been the history of the trusts
with reference to the rapidity of their
organization within the last three years?
Never in the history of any country has
there been an annual production OF legal
lied monopolies equal to the last years
crop-that is. for the year 1899. 1t is
charged, and reliably So that 1000 cor
porations were chartered and authorized
to issue capital stock to the amount OF
three and one-half billions.
Il find quite generally that people look
upon the Presidents flop on the Porto
Rican tariff question as one of the clearest
manifestations of the power of the trusts
over the Republican party. They fear that
it is one OF the wedges which will event
ually rend asunder the great principle that
this Government rests for its powers upon
the grant to it in the written Constitution.
the product of the minds of the wisest, mast
patriotic, and ablest men that ever as
sembled to consider and promulgate the
principles of free government under the
sum-"