The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-29
THE PRESIDENT INCONSISTENT.
Representative Gaines Quotes m
Early Speech of MIR. Mckinley.

Representative Gaines Quotes an
Early Speech of MIR. Mckinley.
Representative Gaines of Tennessee was
caller at the headquarters OF the DEM
ocratic Congressional Committee yester-
day. He said: 81 look for Democratic
gains in Tennessee. believe there will be
Democratic gains everywhere. i know
there ought to be. I feel that the victims
of the trusts are. everywhere throughout
tai blow at the Republican party, the par
ent party of the trust
Continuing, Mr.. Gaines said: 'Tn dis
cussing the Mills bill, Representative Will
liam Mckinley. jr.. then a member of the
House, and now President OF the United
States. on Frida,. May IS. 1888, in a
speech said that Congress had the power
to control trusts formed in the United
States. He discussed both foreign trusts
and domestic trusts. He said that we could
not crush the foreign trusts-trusts OF
Europe-but we could crush the home
trusts, the ones now in question, that are
dominating the courts of Ohio, running the
Legislature OF that State, and that are
controlling. in and out of Congress. the
Republican party that has control of that
trust-ridden State.
THE proposed constitutional amendment
has net deceived anybody. 1t has been a
boomerang
We can crush, Mr. Mckinley said
the home trusts Then why did we want
an amendment to the present Constitution
that was In existence May 1s 1888, when
tha Presidents speech Sas made? Why
paralyze state rights and smother out
State sovereignty reprebended by General
Grosyencr so sammariiy in the House
December 10 last and in a published letter
before Congress met? Why did the Presi-
dent, If We can crush trusts. want tina.
amendment Why did he permit his party.
although In bad faith, to undertake its
passage?
IF the President is really an enemy Of
trusts, why was he silent during the entire
extra session of the Fifty-ifth Congress,
beginning March 15, 1897, and ending about
the last of July? Why nothing on trusts
in his messages to Congress during that
long session when the Congress did moth
ing but pass the Dingley bill?
IF an enemy OF trusts, why did he not
denounee the home-robber trust to an idle
House and put it TO work with a strong
message on the subject of trusts?
why did he let the distinguished
Speaker, the great Republican leader, DOM
mate the House and refuse TO appoint COM
mittees go that the House of it's own Volt
tion could enact antitrust legislation?
why did he lose all that good time in
doing absolutely nothing himself and with
out directing his party what to do? Why
should he be a trust follower instead Of a
party leader? Why did ne wait until all
but year Of his entire term as President
of the United States had expired before he
uttered a word On the trust question? And
then what did he sag
He simply said that there were some
trusts in the ntry about which
he had heard. AID submitted the
matter to the consideration of
Congress. What Congress? A Repub-
lican Congress-trustee for the trustsi He
did not suggest even a plan-not even an
amendment to the existing law or Con-
stitution. He suggested nothing. He did
not say that We could not crush trusts
under the present Constitution and that
he wanted an amendment, but submitted
the matter 20 Congress. And what did his
Congress do? They reported that amend
ment and the Littleield bill a few days
before Congress adjourned and / believe
after the House had set June to adjourn
The Littlefeld bill reported was not in
troduced until April Z, 1900. The bill and
amendment were reported May 16 and 10,
respectively, and taken up for debate on
May 81 in the House.
THE proposed amendment met a right
eous defeat for the Democrats knew, as
President Mckinley had said in good or
bad faith in 1888. that Congress has the
power to crush trusts engaged in foreign
and interstate commerce and foreign cor
porations and corporate bodies dealing in
that commerce. So the Democrats voted
| against it.
They suggested various amendments
strengthening the Littlefeld bill. which
undertook to strengthen the Sherman law.
the antitrust act of 1890. Nearly all OF
the proposed changes to that law have
been made by Democrats. as the Littlefield
bill and amendments. and the Congressional
debates show.
Again. President McKinley's Admins
tration has not enforced the existing law
of 1890 The official records show this.
defy successful refutation of this state
ment. / will prove it. There have been
only three cases filed against trusts during
this Administration. as shown by a letter
from Attorney General Griggs to me.
'sIn the Presidents own State Of Ohio
the trusts have defed the Supreme Court
FOR eight wears and are yet without pun
isbment In a common law action in 1892,
tbe standard OIL Company was denied the
right to enter into a contract with the
Standard Oil Trust. because it created a
MONOPOLY contrary to public policy and
the common law The case is Watson VS.
The Standard Oil Company This is what
the common law enforced could and did
do and six years before the antitrust
statute Of Ohio Of April 12. 1898. Some
thing is wrong The courts, the prosecut-
ing officials. or the statute. composed OF
the best part of the Texas statute and
others. is weaker now than the common
law which this statute is supposed to in
tensify and invigorate. Under the COM
mon law they are restrained; under the
statute law as enforced, they defy the
courts and go UNPUBLISHED.
"The public policy. then of Ohio. that
used to be otherwise. has changed
changed in favor OF combines that raise
prices and rob the people. What has
wrought this change? The Democrats,
without a variation. have supported all
antitrust legislation in Ohio. They voted
for the original act of 1898 as unit and
for the amendment offered and defeated
in the last Legislature, just adjourned,
to strengthen the weak places in the
existing law, with a solid opposition by
the Republican party. dominated by the
trust kings of Washington City and New
York. Can we trust such a party, State
or national? Can we stand such n party
four years longer? Should we stand it?''
A Scarcity of Coal.
In every country in Europe as in the United
States. every loom has been whirring, every fac
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