The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-10-20
REPUBLICAN PARTY And TRUSTS.
Attorney General Monnett, of Ohio, Tells
How He was Hindered by Republicans in
Suits Against Trusts-rhe Record of the
Mckinley Administration.

COLUMBUS. ONO, Oct. PA large audi
ence attended meeting tonight at the Column
bus Auditorium, addressed by Hon. Funk S.
Monnett, recently the Republican Attorney
General of Ohio; j. r. Sovereign, former
general master-workman of the Knights of
Labor, and Val. Fitzpatrick, grand vice-chief
of the Order of Railway Conductors.
Mr.. Monnett. it will be remembered, re-
Gently sprang into national prominence by
prosecuting the trusts in court, as a result of
which he was turned down for denomination
by the Republican State Convention. His
speech was devoted wholly TO trusts and con-
tanned the first public declaration Of his inten
ton to support Mr.. Bryan. Mr.. Monnett
reviewed the prosecutions against trusts and
monopoles which he had undertaken while
Attorney General of the State, saying:
cit became my privilege and duty to insti-
tute upward Of "A suits against these trusts as
your sworn officer OF the law, calling upon the
highest courts of the State to punish these law
yielaiors that pillage your sugar bowl, your5
OIL can, your tobacco pouch and exact your
excessive freight and telephone charges. We
labored to accomplish this as it was our duty
10 do. We were badgered and INSTRUCTED by
Republican leaders, United States Senators,
political bosses and subsidized press. One
hundred and ten newspapers accepted Stand
ard Oil money to cultivate public sentiment
wrongfully in the companys favor and against
the prosecutors.
"rhe monrpolists sent the briber with his
solutions of gold and with his promises of
positions aud salaries. They procured the
leading governmental officials TO defend them.
Last, but not least, driven from pillar 10 post,
the came into court and with upifted hands
swore that they did not and could not answer
the interrogatories or produce their books; and
lastly that it would incriminate the college
fostering, church erecting, campaign contrib
uting monopolists A like experince was en-
countered against the Salt Trust at Pomeroy,
Ohio; the same dodge and skuIking from the
avenging law was adopted there"
Mr.. Monnett then went into the subject of
Federal legislation against trusts and discussed
the Sherman Antitrust law. Referring to
the decision of the Supreme Court sustaining
the consiitutionaliiy of this law. he said:
.''rhis brought the trusts aud monopollsts
to their last ditch in the contest, so far as the
court and Congress were concerned; so far as
the legislative and Judiciary we're called upon
to act. All of us that had earnestly fought
and contended for this principle felt that u
great victory had been won; a Republican
from Ohio had introduced the bill, a Republi
can House and Senate had enacted it into law,
Democratic Solicitor General and an At
torney General from Ohio had with great
learning and ability sustained the law before
the United States Supreme Court
''Pooling of railroads and OF railroad rates,
Joint traffic associations, the monopolies of
the Standard Oil Company in its producing
the progress of the raw product and distribut
ing the refined product should now come under
the control of this legislative act so far as
interfering with interstate commerce.
Thirteen suits had been begun, about two
of them under Cleveland's Administration,
but they were delayed awaiting the final
decision as to the eonstitutionality of this act.
ssWe nominated a President from Ohio, who
promised the people in fair phrases that he
would enforce the antitrust laws of the United
States including the Sherman antitrust act.
How has he enforced it? He went to New
Jersey, the State of the trust breeding grounds,
the cesspoll and the spawn of all these illegal
combinations, and placed at the head of the
Attorney Generals Department John w.
Griggs, who has under him 76 District AT
torneys scattered throughout the various States
of the Union, the duty Of each and every one
(which is 10 enforce this anti trust net. Accor-
ding to his official report, May 80, 1900, to Con
gress, out of IL suits instituted under this law
three have been begun under his administra-
ton. One was in the case ofthe United States
VS.. Anderson, begun June Z, 1899, decided
against the Government on the ground of want
of Jurisdiction. The second was the case Of
the United States Coal Dealers Association,
decided January %, 1898; the third, the
United States VS.. Chesapeake and Ohio Fuel
Company, not yet decided.
"This is the magnificent record of the pres
ent national Administration and the complete
notification of the most important law upon
the statute books upon this subject since the
beginning of our Government
1.-THE trusts utterly failed in defeating the
Sherman antitrust act; they were completely
routed by the judiciary in the final test in the
Supreme Court, and they have now begun
the dangerous policy of parayzing the execu-
tive arm by means that are so palpable that
he who runs may read.
In conclusion Mr.. Monnett said:
81 believe that William Mckinley and John
W. Griggs, his Attorney. General, and his
executive officers have willfully, purposely
and knowingly paralyzed the executive arm
of this Government for the last four years
and prevented the enforcement of the COM
mon law and the statute law, both criminally
and civily against these law violators.
"WIliam j. Bryan may not accomplish all
that we expect, or all that we hope for, but |
believe him to be thoroughly honest sim
cere and determined man. While | do not
agree with him in all that he advocates, yet |
am forced to take one side or the other on
this great question which for the masses is
the paramount issue. In the name of patriot
ism. for the sake of our Republic and to pre-
vent the threatened danger that Senator John
Sherman and the other Nestors in the eoun-
ellis of our government have so graphically
prophesied, and which | firmly believe will
come to pass if not checked, propose to cast
my vote for that fearless, upright champion