The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-05-03

Will COlA DlCbC SuCCCSbs hey were
not fooled by the greenback craze in
the years 1S6S'76. They were not
not fooled by the tricks Of free traders
in 1880 or 1888, nor by the cutlery for
free silver in 1896. The mistakes
they have made have been sufficient
ly to help them in judging between
the opposing parties hereafter. Once
more this year they will be asked to
put out of power those whose conduct
: of government has resulted in the
highest prosperity ever known, and
to put in those whose management
resulted in the worst prostration for
half century
In particular, they will be asked to
smash up all industries and business
because certain abuses have appeared
to burn down the house in order to
get rid of the rats. That is essen
, TALLY the nature of all Democratic
proposals respecting industrial com
binations. For all know that the
consultations of many works and
all corporations has gone so far and
brought about so great change in
the conditions of manufacture and
trade that sweeping attack upon
all the combinations, good and bad
alike, would smash up business after
the fashion of 1898. One has only to
look with care at the declarations of
leading Democrats, at the laws enact
ed in Democratic States and at pro-
posals by Democrats in Congress to
see that they entirely lack discrimi-
nation between corporations that
bless the country and those that
curse it. One proposal by the Demo
cratic leader in the House would en-
tirely stop the movement from any
State into any other of the products
OF any concern realizing more than a
bare interest on money loaned. The
plainest of plain people can see that
thousands of workmen would have to
be discharged and millions of capital
withdrawn for lending in other coun-
tries if any law of such purport
should be enacted.
That is extravagant folly,it may be
granted, but no Democrat offers any
thing but extravaganza folly or fraud
ulent evasion. The Democrat who
spends so much time in denouncing
monopolies and trusts never states
If it is monopoly, or complete and ar
bitrary control of prices, absolutely
not one exists. If it is the advance
of prices by agreement of producers,
exactly as farmers agree to get better
prices for cotton or wheat, and work
ingmen to get better wages for labor,
no law can strike down one and not
the other. If it is an unreasonable
and eXtOrtionate advance resulting
from circumstances which no manu-
facturer or combination can control,
examples like that of the Steel and
Wire company show how swiftly the
circumstances may so change, even
while legal authority for action is
being sought, as to alter prices and
conditions far more than any law
could have altered them. Any legal
interference would force the closing
of works employing many thousand
hands for an indefinite time until the
question could be brought to trial,
and that would only force prices still
higher, while cutting off the living of
multitudes.
Let any man look with care at the
proposals made by any leading Demo-
crat or any convention of that party
in respect to the industrial combina-
lions, and he will find that they pros
trate business industries as the first
step, even by fear of interference, be-
fore thing could he done to frame
new law or to enforce one. He will
find such vagueness of statement,
such incapacity to define the thing
assailed, that the most worthy and
beneficial corporation would be
threatened and imperiled not less
than the most grasping and harmful.
1t will then bein order to reflect that
the same party which has promoted
and guarded the prosperity of the
country for forty years is quite as
capable as it ever has been to deal
with such problems, and quite as
sure to seek by any policy it may
adopt the advancement of prosperity
first and all the time, instead of
blind, laundering and vindictive war
fare against all corporations. good
and bad.