New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-11
DEMOCRATIC THEORIES AND TRUSTS.

Colonel BRYAN continues to offer to Western
wav station audiences the two threadbare RENE
dies for trust abuses which have done duty III
lis renertorv on a hundred previous barnstorm-
inc +ours No other Democratic statesman so
far ne we can discover has shown the slightest
disposition to infringe on the Nebraska leader
exclusive patent on these two twopenny paha-
ceas: and they may have accordingly for many
rustic voters the air of new and starting adul-
tions to political knowledge. Colonei Bryan
schemes for checking the evils OF the trust Sys-
TEN are. however, about As pretentously holloW
az his plans for doubling the value of the
farmers products aud the laborer's wages by
clipping to half weight the dollar in which both
prices and wages have to be measured. His
first project for restraining trusts. under the
Federal Governments present grant of power
is to put on the free list all imports competing
with the product of any and every domestic
monopoly" His second is to create Federal
Bureau of Licenses which is to issue permits to
every combination of capital organized in one
State and seeking to do business beyond that
States borders, and which is TO refuse permits
sion to enter other States TO any corporation
suspected of carrying watered stock or OF de-
signing TO secure exclusive field for its oper-
ations That Colonel Bryan should. among
Democratic statesmen and orators, have HIM
self an undlSputed monopoly" of these two
fimsy and impotent devices for Federal inter
ference is scarcely to be wondered at. For
whatever political extravagances doctrinare
of Colonel Bryan's POpulstic training and ten
denotes may venture 10 espOuse and advocate,
every serious minded Democratic leader plainly
realizes that the campaign Colonel Bryan is
conducting against the so-called trusts is forcing
the party he leads into an attitude absolutely
10 41,o TV6
have guided it for nearly century
Neither of Colonel Bryan's proposed legisla-
tive remedies can, in fact, be squared with
accepted Democratic doctrine. When the Nc
Kinley Tariff bill was passed, in 1890, its reel
procity sections were viciously antagoniZed by
Democrats in both houses of Congress on the
ground that the President could not properly be
invested with power to alter import duties by
virtue of mere Executive agreements with
foreign governments. Such an extension of
Executive power, it was held. was an open
violation of Democratic theory, and when the
Democratic party regained control in 1892 it
promptly repudiated in the Wilson German bill
all outstanding reciprocity agreements. Colonel
Bryan would, however, by his free list sugges-
ton not only introduce chaos into the estab-
lished system Of raising Federal revenues, but
would arm the President with arbitrary power
10 dlJer import uuJeS at any IHOIHeuI WITHOUT
check or hindrance. In other words, the Demo
cratic Presidential candidate proposes practi-
cally to transfer the power to levy customs
duties from Congress to the President-a pro-
posal which naturally alarms and scandalizes
every consistent friend of the Constitution"
and every faithful follower of the teachings of
Jefferson.
Colonel Bryan's second remedy is equally an
tagoniStic to Democratic theory. 1t seeks again
to shift to the shoulders of the Executive powers
and responsibilities which belong to Congress.
1t imposes on a minor Federal bureau chief the
duty Of determining whether combinations of
capital are or are not acting sin restraint of
trade"-a duty too vast and too indeterminate.
under present laws, to be confded to mere Elk
ecutive subordinate. Colonel Bryan himself be-
trayed a consciousness of the woful inadequacy
of this antitrust programme when in his letter
of acceptance of September II he preached the
possibility OF his suggesting, If elected, the adop
ton Of a constitutional amendment ito protect
1.-The people of all the States from injury at the
hands of individuals or corporations engaged in
interstate commerce" But a constitutional
amendment-the only real and effective remedy
J for the evils Gf they exist which Colonel Bryan
complains offs the last thing to which the
| Democratic party could consent with any show
| of graciousness or consistency. In the House
of Representatives last June only five Demo
Gratis favored submitting an antitrust amend
ment to the State Legislatures, while 1870 went
on record as opposing submission State rights
| the Democratic leaders argued would be I'M
! perilled by an amendment clothing the Federal
| Government with power TO stop the abuses
alleged to flow from aggregations of capital in
| trade and manufacture. Democratic practice
and Democratic theory alike, in fact betray the
hypocrisy of the Bryan programme Of remedy
| ing trust evils through Federal action
OPEN SEWERS IN CITIES.
The announcement that the Govanus Canal