The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-08-15

his finger against the trusts. That
man was the Hon. Frank s. Monnett.
late Republican attorney general Of
Ohio. who. taking the party at its word.
proceeded to make war on the Stand
ard OH trust, whereupOn the Republic
an party ut the first opportunity re-
tired him to the shades Of private life
and have been heaping abuse upon his
head ever since. The Hon. John ].
Lentz Of Ohio Is one Of the ablest and
most promising members Of congress.
He Is fiery orator, splendid rough
and tumble, catch rs catch can debat-
or. He has his full quantum Of cour-
age, strikes from the shoulder, Is al
ways ready to speak for the people and
Is dangerous customer to tackle on
the floor Of the house. as General
Charles Henry Grosvenor, mouthplece
Of the administration. found out. to his
sorrow. in the closing days of congress.
General Grosvcnor made some hypO-
critical remarks which Lentz did not
relish on the bogus trust constitutional
! amendment then before the house.
While General Grosvenor Is. like Joe
Bagstock. tough. devilish tough"
Lentz tanned his hide In a most ap-
proved fashion that day. Lentz's entire
speech should be circulated rs q cam
paign document. Whether or not It
will be do not know. here quote us
much Of II as have room for, and IL Is
decidedly good campaign stuff.
| A Good Democrat.
II Lentz gets what he deserves. lie
will be returned to congress from the
capital district Of Ohio by Mt least
10000 majority. 1t would be we'll
deserved compliment and tribute to
this splendid young Democrat. who Is
as faithful to the people as the needle
to the pole. In skinning General Gros-
venor Mr.. Lentz spoke in part as fol.
lows:
"Mr. Speaker. it was exceedingly
pleasant to hear the gentleman from
Ohio lMr. GrOsvenorl apologize for the
third time for the treatment that the
Republican party has given Attorney
General Monnett. Mr.. Monnett prose-
cuted one trust vigorously, honestly.
beyond the temptation Of bribe Of
100000, beyond the browbeating Of
the press Of the state. beyond the cold
shoulder Of every leader in the Repub-
lican party. He stood incorruptible. he
stood unyielding, on the Republican
state platform OF 1895 against trusts,
a platform more radical than that
adopted in the state of Ohio q few
weeks ago by the Republicans and
more radical against trusts than the
platform will be which they will adopt
ut Philadelphia in two weeks.
"But / propose to let Mr.. Monnett
speak for himself as to how he has
been treated in thN state of Ohio.
send to the clerk. to be read from the
desk. an interview given on the 10Th
OF May by Mr.. Monnett. as reported in
the Columbus Citizen and reproduced
I'm the Lancaster Democrat. telling
what he thinks Of the Republican party
and its course In that state. not only
with reference to himself. but particu-
iarly with reference to- the trusts"
The Gle. k read rs follows:
| PUNISHMENT FOR REPUBLICAN, PARTY
| SEEMS CERTAIN. SAYS MONNETT. WHO
THINKS 1T IS LIKELY TO BE GIVEN DY
THE PEOPLE THIS FALL.
| Ey.Attornoy General Frank S. Monnctt has rc.
turned from Toledo and says that he was not
| present at the conference o. Silver Republicans
| and antitrust leaders. Mr. Monnctt. however,
| says that he met Nr. Charles Towne and had
very pleasant chat with him and also with others
who were there attending the conference
Answering the question regarding his position
on the trust question during the coming cam.
| paign. Mr.. Monnett said that he was the Ohio
| member Of the National Antitrust association and
as such would do his duty to the organization.
| There will be compromise with the trusts
| They are social. commercial and political evil
| with which there be no compromise. fancy
| that there will be a great effort To win votes
| from our party on this question the coming cam
| paign. do not see how We can escape punish
| ment either. When party breaks its pledges, IL
| Is usually punished by the people. At the na.
| tional convention at ST. Louis when President
| Mckinley was nominated. Senator Thurston, who
| presided rs chairman OF that meeting, declared
| that the American people will return the Ncpub.
| lican party to power because they know that its
| administration will mean the protection Of the
| public from all unlawful combinations and un-
Just eSactions OF aggregated capital
| ''ile went further and declared that the party
must do this to retain the confidence Of the
American people.
| The platform OF the Republican party in Ohio
strongly condemned the trusts and their unla siul
methods. was elected as the attorney gener al Of
Ohio on such platform. and as the officer o; the
state and the representative Of the party carried
out. as best could. the platform Of the party.
| Act was not supported in this by many Of tho
leaders, and the party organs criticised me for
doing just what the platform Of my party pledged
me to ID. Newspapers OF the state. about 10 OF
them. printed paid articles critcisng my actions.
and they. too party newspapers.
| This Is not all. The legislature which has
Just adjourned killed the Russell bill and the
maximum freight bill, and that. too. by almost
strict party vote Will not the people punish
tue party Tor such actions upon the part Of Its
scrysnts9 The party as such is not In sympathy
with such methods Although the Russell bill
was bill No. 10. IL was side tracked by the trust
lobbyists and held back until nes1 the adjourn.
nent. and then. over tie protest OF some Of the
best mes OF the party and almost all OF tho Demo
cratic members. 1t was defeated. This was q re.
pudiation OF the party platform and the scutimcn,
VI the party.
II cannot believe that we will escape punish.