The Elbert County tribune., 1900-01-18


| thinking. and consequently = great
amount also Of loose speaking and
writing, on this subject 1t has been
the fashion Of most speakers to de-
nounce trusts indiscrimInately, without
| proposing any practical method Of get
| ting rid Of the evils laid to the trrsts.
This is the Populistic style. and the de-
nunciation is ss impractical m the Gus
tomary PopulIstic denunciation Of
wealth.
The most effective and practical
treatment Of the trust question in any
state paper thus far Issued Is that Of
Governor Roosevelt of Now York, in
his annual message to the Legislature
Of that state Mr.. Roosevelt enumer-
ates clearly the evils alleged to be due
to the trusts, and outlines as clearly
certain remedies which recommends
to the consideration OF the Legislature.
The chief OF these remedies, or Mt least
the one precedent to all the rest. is pub
licity. A corporation may be required
by law to make public n statement Of
Its business. Just as national banks
are required to make reports OF their
condition which are published from
time to time and frequently. Mr..
Roosevelt suggests also that the corpor-
alton may be made to report what Its
stock really epresents-whether net
ual value OF plant. brands, good Will,
or Just water.
Nowhere has there been firmer or
mere cogent statement Of the fact that
trusts, in SO far ms they monopolize
production and raise the price OF the
product to the consumer for the benefit
of the corporation, are an evil which
deal with severely. than in President
McKinley's message TO the Congress
last month. Nowhere have such prac-
tical suggestions been made for re-
stricting the evils OF trusts as In the
messages of Governor Roosevelt of
New York, and Governor Nnsh of
Ohio. In contrast with them the vague
and general denunclation Of trusts
made by Democratic speakers aud Of
ficials are vaporous-mere sound and
fury, signifying nothing. Wherever
Populistic or Democratic Legislatures
have tried antitrust legislation, like
those OF Kansas some years since, and
Of Arkansas recently, they have done
great deal more harm than good. The
attempt of the Arkansas Legislature
to shut out the so-called Insurance
trust has reduced the value OF property
in that state by millions OF dollars,
Up to date. the clcnrest Indication of
the evil Of trusts, and the most practi-
cal and effective suggestions for the
control of those evils, have been made
by Republicans. There is no partisan
issue ns to the fact that there are evils
connected with trusts; the partisan DIFF
ference is that the Democrats see moth
ing but eviI-unless they happen to be
on the inside themsclves-and In their
indiscriminate zeal propose to smash
capital and fetter enterprise, while
the Republicans wish to utilize for the
benefit of the public whatever good
there may be in new combinations OF
capital, and do away with the evils, 30
far as that can be done by legislation.
1t is the old story over ngain. If the
country wants effective and positive
legislation of any kind, 1t must come
through the Republican party. The
only positive measure that Democrat
ic Congress- has passed In the last mr.
ty years was law imposing an income
tax; and that was so carelessly drawn,
and 80 bungling In Its provisions. that
1t was declared unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court. 1t is easy enough to
denounce trusts, and to disclnim about
the concentration of wealth In the
hands Of n few, as Governor Thomas
did last week Mt the dinner Of the Can
delight Club In Denver. in the most.
approved Populistic style; but when 1t
comes to any positive proposition, any
thing practical for the suppression of
the evil. or for the control OF corpora
tions, not Democrat, from Mr.. Bryan
down, has even a feasible suggestion.
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