The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-29
PLAYING FOR POSITION.
Both Democrats and Republicans
Would Pose as Trust Baitars-


Would Pose as Trust Baitsrs
New York. Jan ga special to the
Herald from Washington says Ar-
Bryan and other Democratic leaders
are planning to make an antitrust dec
laration one Of the principal plauks OF
their platform, but the Republicans
may expect flank movement that viii
make the issue a very subordinate one
and VIII give their party whatever
credit Is to be gotten out of IL
Some of the Republican leaders have
come to the conclusion that congress
should pass a resolution proposing
an amendment TO the constitution to
give the United States government
power over corporations Il would
leave no chance for the intended Dem
oeratie assaults on trusts Should such
q resolution be passed during the spring
or early summer it could not be acted
upon BY the various state fegisIa lures
before next winter, and the issue would
IN the mean time be in suspense, with
the credit for having taken the first
step in the direction of effeetuaI con-
troll OF trusts resting with the RepubH-
cans
One step has already been taken in
this direction by the Introduction Of q
resolution by Representative Jenkins,
Of Wisconsin. chairman of the sub-con1-
mirtee Of the house committee On the
judiciary, charged with the eonSideFa-
ton of trust measures. and his action
Il N z way a reply 70 4 eh2U6DS6 from
Democratic members OF the committee.
At q recent meeting of the committee
Representative Terry Of Arkansas
wanted the Republicans TO take Up
some Of the various antitrust propO-
sitionS that had been referred to the
committee They informed him they
proposed to consider the subject and
report a measure A study of the va
riouS propositions then before the com
mittee led Mr. jenkins TO the opinion
thar f7fa eafFAt=Ffve1
and the result was the preparation Of
his resolution proposing conSUtu-
tional amendment
While Republican members Of the
| committee declare they VIII report q
measure of some kind. they don't pro-
pose 70 be hurried by the Democrats,
and they Will not do anything until the
report Of the Industrial commission has
| been received. That report Is being de-
| layed by the difficulty OF the commits
sIoners coming into agreement and
also by the fact that the testim 0ny
taken during the summer has not been
fully indaxed and digested-
Advocates of action along the lines
Of the Jenkins resolution figure out that
it would put the Republicans in an in
/ viueible position in the next campaign
They could point out the decisions Of
the supreme court of the United States
as to the present limitations on the
power of congress over corporations
and could show that they had taken
the first step in the direction Of re-
moving those limitations and giving to
congress absolute power They could
show that il rested with the people of
| the several states to elect legislators
who would ratify the proposed amend
ment and then to elect senators and
representa- tives who would enact such
[ laws as might be needed to correct any
I evils brought about by great combina-
tions of capital
Republicans could also assert that
= =
I Iean measure and that the only eases
successfully prosecuted under 1.-THE
I Chicago Traffic association cases and
| the Pipe trust caSe-were carried
! through by a Republican attorney gen
eral Some Republicans, in fact, are
I disposed To rest their case upon the
record the present administration has
made under the Sherman antitrust
I law, and contend that any further reg
uIatiOn OF corporations should be left
to the states
From this standpoint of practical pol
tiles It Is declared proposition to
amend the constitution so as 10 put
control OF corporations under the fed
eFaI government would not meet with
disfavor among the managers OF the
great industrial corporations
The first suggestion for national con-
troll made before the Industrial commits
bold Of the Standard Oil company and
II was taken up and indorsed by al
most every corporation witness who ap-
peared before the eommissisa- There is
a general feeling among these men that
congress could be trusted not To do any
thing revolutionary or to enact laws
that would hamper the com merciaI and
Industrial Development of the country
and they prefer 70 take their chances
of equitable treatment from congress
rather than to be subjected to the di-
verse and often contradictory IegisIa-
ton of 45 states