Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-06-15
NOTES. FROM WASHINGTON
Items Of General Interest from the
National Center of Leg
is1ation.
REPUBLICANS PLAYIne A SHAM GAME.
Failure of Congress to Legislate
Against Trusts-The Cuban Steel
and Mining TrOubles-Imper1alis
Gaining GrOund-Hanna's Fund
Short.
Especial Correspondence

Short.
Especial Correspondence
The republicans are in a blue funk
because they realize that the country
is already sitting in judgment on the
failure of their congress to legislate
in restraint of trusts. Their alleged
constitutional amendment fell so fat
that it became imperatively necessary
to construct something else that could
be used for campaign scarecrow.
The ways and means committee is
holding night sessions and calling in
the best legal talent to aid it in draw
ing up what the republicans advertise
as ''real antitrust bill.''
''This is going to be constitutional
and it will squeeze all the water out
of trusts and prevent them from OPP
pressing the people, said republican
who stands very high in administration
councils.
It was pointed out that the date set
for the introduction of the bill would
only be a week before adjournment
and that the chances were very much
against it's being pushed through both
houses, even if the republican majority
desired such a result.
'sWeH, of course, it may not be passed
this session. said this same optimistic
manufacturer of campaign material.
ssbut at any rate it will show the peo-
pie what we intend to do and they
ought to keep the republicans in power
when their intentions are so good
The trouble is that the people have
grown tired of promises and good in
tentions on the part of the republic
ans They had a clear ma ority in both
houses and could have passed any de-
sired antitrust legislation long ago.
The fact is that they never intended to
NEEDLE with the trusts and have only
been frightened into sham display
of opposition at this late date because
the voters of the country are already
voicing their indignation at a party
which not only refuses to restrain the
mischievous tendencies of trusts but
actually promotes their interests as
far as possible by power of congress.
Republican Pretense.
Even if a really effective antitrust
law were passed, the republicans could
always find an attorney general, like
the present one, who would declare the
law imperative.
A proposition to restrain trusts will
be in nice company with the ship SUBJ
sidy bill on one side oft and the armor
plate steal on the other, not to say
anything of the opportunities for trust
exploitation so generously furnished
| in legislating for Porto Rico outside the
constitution and leaving the Philip
pines in the control of the president
which means Mark. Hanna and his
| friends.
The republicans are a little late with
| their pretense of restraining trusts.
This congress will be judged ON what
| it actually did in relation to trusts, not
what it proposed to do.
The Cuban Postal Frauds.
The Cuban postal frauds gave one
object lesson on the effect of imperial
| ism. and the investigation of the Idaho
| mining troubles and the application of
| martial law gives twin lesson as to
| the dangers of militarism and big
standing army.
The republican majority of the house
committee on military affairs try to
| Justify the use of United States troops
| in imprisoning and finally exiting men,
whose only proven offense was mem.
| bership in labor union. The wage
workers of the country will not fail to
| note this, and they fear that militarlsm
will be found a much more convenient
| toll than the usual injunction when
ever an industrial disturbance occurs.
It is not that the punishment of the
rioters in Idaho is condemned. On the
| contrary the labor organizations all
over the country have condemned the
riot and put themselves on record in
favor of Furnishing the guilty to the
| fullest extent of the law. The trouble
| is that the administration and it's party
seem to think that martial law is a
good substitute for state and federal
| law and that it does not matter how
| many innocent men are punished on
| suspicion that they are exercising their
| rights as citizens in belonging to a
| union.
The minority report on the Idaho
| trouble shows that Gen. Merriam and
| Gov. Steunenberg cooperated in an
application of martial law which has
no precedent in this country. Every
accusation as to the cruelties of the
| bullpen was sustained and it was shown
that martial law is still in force in
Idaho for the sole purpose of enforc-
ing the permit" system.
The wage workers of the country
are alarmed at this disposition to take