The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-06
Platform Studies, v.---Democracy
and the Trusts.

and the Trusts.
Among other glittering generalities on
the subject Of trusts. the Democratic
platform adopted at Kansas City con-
tains the following:
The failure OF the present Republican
administration. with an absolute control
over all of the branches Of the national
government. to enact any legislation de-
signed to prevent or even curtail the abb
sorbing power Of trusts and Illegal COM
binations. or 10 enforce the antitrust
laws already on the statute books. proves
the insinoerity OF the sounding
phrases Of the Republican platform.
The only antitrust legislation which
has ever found its way into the national
statutes is the present Sherman anti
trust law, drawn by a Republican sem
ator and passed by a Republican con-
gress. The Democratic party. while In
control OF both houses OF congress and
the presidency. never proposed any leg
isiation to deal in any manner with the
evil OF monopolistic trusts. The result
OF the passage OF the Sherman law was
to extinguish absolutely the trust
proper. that is. the combination OF cor
porations engaged in the same line Of
business. whereby they agreed to keep
up prices and divide profits. and to be
operated under one general manage
ment. while preserving their separate
corporate existence. 1t was the cause
OF the abandonment OF the trust idea.
and the creation. In lieu thereof. OF
simple corporations. which absorbed
completely all the plants and business
OF the pre-existing corporations in the
same line OF business. which thereupon
went out OF existence.
The so-called trust Of today differs In
no respect. under the law, from any
other corporation. II Is simply a gi-
gant!s corporation, owning and con-
trolling number OF plants. instead of
the old trust. which was a mere
executive body. operating and CONTROL.
ing n number OF plants owned by sep
arate corporations. II requires no es-
peclai knowledge OF the law to see that
laws designed TO prevent the comblna-
ton OF corporations cannot be made to
apply TO the operations of a single cor
poration. no matter how many different
plants that corporation may own. The
sherman law was effective In sup
pressing trusts as they existed when IT
went into effect; u Is practically power
iess to deal with the operation OF indi-
viduai corporations
Yet Il is the opinion Of good lawyers
that the sherman law went 10 the full
limit Of the constitutional powers Of
congress in interfering vita corpora
tons. which are the creatures OF state
laws. and properly the subjects Of state
oontrol and legislation. not Of national
control Approaching the want Of power
in the federal government 70 deal with
the regulation OF state corporations. the
Republican majority In congress offered
Joint resolution for a constitutional
amendment. giving 60 congress power
70 regulate or suppress trusts. The
Democratic minority In the house.
almost TO a man, voted agains, IL. ana
failing 10 command the necessary two.
thirds vote. the amendment failed.
The Democratic minority In congress
Is alone 10 blame for tho failure Of the
passage Of the emily measure BY which
congress could Fightfaliy deal with the
subject The Democrats defeated the
measure because they did not want any
effective legislation passed on the mat
ter Of trusts. They prefer 10 have the
trusts continue ia operation. because
/ leading Democrats are stockholders in
/ she biggest and most offensive Of them:
and further, because they prefer to
have the trust question unsettled. that
they may use Il as a political Issue in
the campaign
In the meantime the states them
| selves have complete and absolute