Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-08-17

80
bination case. where eighteen railroad
companies had combined to control
rates, it was decided that this combin-
alton was illegal and void. and it was
dissolved. Then followed the prose-
cution in what is known as the joint
traffic association, a combination of 81
great railroads, organized for the pur-
pose of controlling the rates east of the
Mississippi river. This combination
was also dissolved under the provisions
Of the Sherman law, passed by a re-
publican congress and approved by a
republican president. A similar de-
cision was reached in the case of the
Cast Iron Pipe combination, wherein
it appeared that this trust was the
owner of various plants in several
states and it was therefore engaged in
interstate commerce. the same as in
the case of the Trans-Mississippi and
Joint Traffic associations, and this
trust was likewise dissolved. There
were other cases which had been
brought to the attention of the su-
preme court, in which it appeared that
the trusts had been organized and were
being operated wholly within a state
and the supreme court held in these
cases that it had no jurisdiction. At
the last session of congress a consti-
tutional amendment was proposed, I'M
der the provisions of which the regu-
latiOn and control OF combinations Or
ganized to m%onopolize and fix prices
was to be dealt with by congress alone.
Every democrat except one had voted
against this proposed amendment, thus
again illustrating the insincerity of the
democratic party in their cutlery
against trusts and combinations. The
senator believed that the several states
OF the union had it in their power to
regular this question and he was very
glad to say that at least PIG state leg
islatures, including North Dakota, had
already enacted laws on this subject.
1t was a remarkable fact that of the y;
states passing these laws Is of them
were states which returned democratic
majorities and Is were states which
returned republican majorities: thus
showing that the legislatures of the
various states were very much in earn
est in their efforts to afford a remedy,
and that contrary to the antitrust
planks of the various democratic plat
forms the people of states which cast
republican majorities were as much
in earnest in this matter as the peo-
pie OF states recognized to be demo-
cratic. He called attention to the fact
that there was a very stringent anti
trust law on the statute books of the
state of Minnesota and inquired if any
Il had heard of any prosecutions
against trusts being had in that state
under the present populist administra-
ton. On the question of imperialism,
so called, the senator charged the Bry-
antics with gross Inconsistency. Mr..
Bryan himself had advocated the rati-
fication of the Paris treaty, under the
provisions of which the sovereignty of
the United States was extended to
Porto Rico, the Philippine Islands and
to Guam. Mr.. Bryan's followers fur
ther declare that the constitution of
the United States follows the flag and
Notwithstanding this fact they proclaim
themselves in favor of the %independ-
ence of the Philippines. If the con-
stitution is in the Philippine Islands.
as Mr.. Bryan's friends say it is, he
would he glad to have some one ex-
plain how it is proposed to withdraw it
from these islands in order that the
Filipinos may have their i%ndepend-
ence. How much reasonable is
is that we shall deal with the Philip
pines as the exigencies of the case
may demand, first asserting our au-
thority in these islands and then estab-
fishing there such a government as the
Filipinos may be entitled to- While
Mr.. Bryan and his friends are CRYING
out for the freedom of the Filipinos
they are c%ontriving in every way and
adopting every conceivable plan to de-
prive the colored people of the south
of the privileges that belong to every
free people, and he had heard a lead
ing United States senator, standing in
his place in the senate, declare that It
was the purpose of his party to see to
it that the negro should not be allowed
to cast his vote. This same senator,
more frank and honest than the major
lty of his party had said that soon
after the civil war closed the great
problem of the south was how to dis
franchise the negro. They at first
undertook to 40 this by peacefully de-
priving him of the privilege of voting
but that finally it became necessary tc
resort to the shot gun and this senator