The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-09-21
Two Records on Trusts.

The Demo-Populists are making !
great adoo these days about trusts as
though 1t was the only party that was
against unlawful and pernicious combl-
nations OF capital. but the record Of the
party. is anything but a happy one. Last
year Mr.. Bryan. in q public address,
gave this method OF settling the trust
question::
81 believe Congress has, or should
have, the power to place restrictions
and limitations. even to the point OF
prohibition, upon any corporation or
gapized in one state that wants to do
business outside OF the state.
am in favor OF an amendment to the
constitution that will give to Congress
power to destroy every trust in the
country"
4 This was the constitutional amend
ment drawn by the Republican majori-
ty OF the house judiciary committee in
response to Mr.. Bryan's proposal:
To lodge In Congress the power to de-
fine, regulate. control, prohibit or dis
solve trusts. monopolics or combina-
lions.
And this was the vote OF the house on
the resolution to lay this amendment
before the people Of the various states:
Republlcans-For. 149: against. :.
Democrats and Populists-For, 5;
against. 1873.
There Is record that ought to close
Mr.. Bryan's mouth. but we do not sup
pose that 1t will work any such miracle
in man who goes about the country
telling the people they are In distress
and at. the same time looking Prosperity
full in the face. But why did that
measure fail of passage? Simply TO Sc
cure an extension to the Democratic
party to further villlfy great interests
that deserted Mr.. Bryan on the cur
.rency question. Commenting on this
failure of the Democracy to grasp an
opportunity to test Its sincerity the New
York Press says:
There was no Republican opposition
to the resolution In the senate. IT
would have passed that body promptly
had the opposition In the house agreed
to It. And by this time candidates OF
both parties to the legislatures OF all
the states this year holding, elections
would now be pledging themselves to
vote for the adoption OF the amend
ment when 1t came before the bodies
to which they sought election. Thus the
\ la at n
out of politics and rapidly progressing
toward the only satisfactory settlement
possible-that provided by the supreme
legislative power In the land clothed
with unrestricted authority.
Mr.. Bryan's party has prevented that
settlement for the sole purpose OF Sc
curing little extension Of It's ,oppor:
tunity to rlllify the representatives OF
certain great property interests who.
since the Democratic attack on the in
tesrity OF the currency and the author
lily OF the courts, have been supposed
to act almost as q clnss with tho Repub
lican party. ME-. Dryan's party. there
fore, In the hope Of gaining doubtful
political advantage. has doneiits ut
most to bring both American political
parties and all American political in
situations into the contempt OF the
American people. This is only a cor
roborative demonstration Of the fact
that Mr.. Bryan's party Is public enc
my. And as for Mr.. Bryan's self. when
he says, as he did at St. Louis. that
during the present administration 10
honest effort has been made to protect
the people from these monopolies," he
stands ;convicted-on the record OF
which his own words are principal part
of reckless Justification Of which no
previous candidate for the presidency
has even been responsibility accused.