The Irish standard., 1900-05-26
REPUBLICANS AND 1HB TRUSTS.

REPUBLICANS AND THB TRUSTS.
On the eve OF election the Republic
ans in congress are going to adopt a
constitutional amendment giving to
congress and to the states necessary
powers for the regulation of trusts and
monopolies. The sole object of this
legislation, as the Times-Herald (Mc-
Kinleys former mouthpiece in Chicago)
frankly admits, is to gain votes in the
coming campaign. Our Chicago con-
temporary candidly says: "The Re-
publicans must devise few trust decla
rations for convention purposes, and
they have made good beginning in the
lower house of congress in the shape
of double-barreled assault on the
combines that promise to yield large
results in the coming campaign"
In the St. Louis platform OF 'o6 the
Republican party never uttered word
against trusts for the reason that the
platform was dictated by them. While
in power the party has given the trusts
every opportunity to prey upon the
people, and McKinley's attorney-gen
eral who halls from New Jersey, the
head center OF trusts and combinations,
has declared that it is utterly impossi-
BILE by any process OF law to check the
llydra-headed monsters from robbing
the public. At the eleventh hour, after
promoting trusts during the past four
years, the Republican-party for politi-
cal purposes says that congress shall
have power to define, regulate, control,
prohibit or dissolve monopolies or
combinations, whether existing in the
form OF a corporation or otherwise"
The party of Mark Hanna does not
inform the public how congress is go
ing to regulate and control these
monstrosities. The Republicans are in
a majority in congress and why don't
they at once proceed to check their
depredations by repeating the Dingley
tariff bill as starter? What the peo-
pie want the Republicans to do is to act
and not to resolve. They do not mean
to curb the trusts in their depredations,
and the trusts are we'll aware of the
fact and will contribute to their CAM
paign fund this year as in 1896
Because the Democrats in congress
are opposed to the proposed amend
ment the Pioneer Press audaciously
says they are backing the trusts! The
| six Democratic members of the house
committee in their minority report had
no hesitation in saying that the Repub-
licans are getting up this amendment at
the end OF the session for political use.
They declare that the chief officer whose
duty it is to prosecute offenders against
the laws fails and refuses to prosecute
any OF them. "Our conclusion is" say
the Democrats, that if the existing
laws are enforced much would be done
toward lessening the trust evil; but
those whose duty it is to enforce these
laws will not perform that duty" They
could have added that when Attorney
General Monnett, of Ohio, who was
elected by the Republicans, got after
the trusts, Mark Hanna and his follow
ers defeated him for a denomination for
simply doing his duty in accordance
with his oath of office.
1t is nonsensical for the Pioneer
Press to charge the Democracy with
backing the trusts because what the Re-
publicans are doing to deceive the peo
pie is meeting with opposition. In the
national platform at Chicago the
Democracy placed itself on record
against trusts and said: "The absorp-
ton Of wealth by the few, the CONSOLE
dation OF our leading railroad systems,
and the formation OF trusts and pools
require stricter control by the federal
| government of those arteries OF COM
merce. We demand the enlargement of
the powers of the interstate commerce
commission and such restrictions and
guarantees in the control of railroads
as will protect the people from robbery
and oppression"
The Republican party, as directed by
Mark Hanna, Rockefeller and Depew.
and other representatives of trusts and
corporations, has made no effort to
protect the people from robbery and OPP
preston either at home or in the new
colonies. 1t has no intention OF pro-
tecting them III the future, and all this
proposed legislation to save them is
only "a mockery, delusion and a
snare" and no paper in the country
knows it better than the St. Paul organ
OF the corporations, trusts and monopo-
lies.
DAVIS ON THE BOER ENJOYS.
There is one member OF the United