The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-06-06
Circulation Statement.
The Anti-Trust Campaign Opened.

The Antitrust Campaign Opened
AS we have remarked upon the matter
hitherto. it is unnecessary to again refer
to our lack of admiration for the Senator
from South Dakota, yet to whom in common
with all men this journal desires TO do
exact justice. We are sorry that it was
left TO him to open the campaign of 1900
against political party organization no
toriously and corruptly bought, owned,
controlled. and bullied by the trusts. It
would have been better in every way that
the cloak of SNUG hypocrisy which has
been worn so long by the trust apostles in
the Senate, as a result of Senatorial
courtesy" should have been stripped from
them and torn into strings by someone
representing the real party OF the people.
But, no Democrat appearing to undertake
the unpleasant though necessary duty.
the opportunity came to Senator Petit
grew, and it is due to him to say that he
made the most Of it.
When the Senate engaged in yesterdays
fight on the question of consideration for
the LIttleaeld Antitrust bill. it may
truly be said that the campaign of the
year r--s opened. and on its principal is
sue. And II opened with the ineisiye
kind Of argument that the masses under
stand and appreciate most readily-the ar
gume9tum ad homirem. What Senator
Bacon partly suggested and Senator Petit
grew drove home with the sledge-hammer
IF facts and history, was already known
o the country in a sort OF way. But it
needed just the exposition accorded the
subject in the interesting and amiable
rebate in question to get the case before
he people in convenient shape for ready
reference.
It is true that it would be difficult TO
ind an American citizen of sane mind and
common school education who does not
know that the Republican managers elect
ed Mr.. Mckinley with trust money in
1896. and depend upon the same class OF
subscriptions for success in 1900. With thai
axiom in sight it is impossible to manu-
facture any public opinion that the Re
publican machine is sincere in its paretic
pretenee Of unfriendliness to the trusts
who are its nurses and its breath Of life
At the same time the people are always
Impressed by the graphic form of statistics
and take kindly to such dimension pictures
as were furnished yesterday by Senator
Pettigrew. The Cramp matter. for in
stance. is an object lesson in the science
md philosophy of Industrial trust polite.
Pettigrew declares that Cramp complained
10 him Of having been held up by the r.
publican managers in 1892. and bled to the
extent Of four hundred thousand dollars
which be was to get back in armOr- plate
contracts. Senator Carter of Montana was
Chairman Of the National Committee that
year. and his friend from the land of the
Dacotahs," AYERS that he admitted in the
Senate Chamber that 1--WE did hit the old
man pretty hard"-the cold man" referred
to being the millionaire shipbuilder with
the agonized name.
1t is but proper TO state that Senator
Carter denies ever having made such
remark. and that both he and Senator
Hanna declare that Mr.. Cramp did not
make such a contribution. or if he did.
that he never found fault with the way
the money disappeared, as Senator Petit
grew had insinuated. We are willing to
give as much weight to this testimony In
rebuttal as 1t will have with the public
generally But, nevertheless and not
withstanding, they did hit the old man
pretty hard" whether Mr.. Carter ever
conceded the fact or not. As to the main
question of the four hundred thousand dol
lars. it will probably be always an open
one. except that the relations between the
parties since 1892 will be moral evidence
conclusive enough to support the charge
In popular opinion
The devil is i'll and he would very much
like to be a monk until after the Novem-
Der election; but the Senatorial toga is
the nearest thing to a eowl that he will
be able to clothe himself in. The people
at large are fully aware that the trusts
are in complete control of the present Adj
g ministration and Of the Republican major
tiles liz the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives. At their dietation both of
these governing forces have defantly and
hagrantily violated the Constitution OF the
United States for their masters advantage
and profit, and have entered into secret
and sinful foreign alliance to defeat the
construction Of an American inter-oceanie
canal, and'to procure the destruction of the
Monroe Doctrine. They have eonnived With
hostile railway interest to prevent all
canal legislation in the first session of the
Fifty-sixth Congress. for a consideration
which is not open TO doubt. Yet they mas
querade as enemies of the trusts In SO
doing they MORALLY affrons the intelligence
and ordinary common sense of American