The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-13

trusts is clear and plain and the high
est court in the land has passed upon
IT'S validity and sustained the constr
tutlonallty of it's provisions. me anti
trust law of 1890 declares that every
contract or combination in the nature
OF a trust in restraint of trade ana
commerce among the several states or
with foreign nations is conspiracy
lllegal and void, and punishable py
tine and imprisonment. Under this act
II seems to me every trust in the United
states can be prosecuted Tor VlolaIlon
OF law, the charter annulled and the
men behind it punished for conspiracy.
Every trust by its very nature is IN
restraint of trade and commerce and IN
violation of this law
In my opinion the department OF
Justice under the present law can in
stitute and successfully maintain action
against every trust doing business in
the United States. The law is clear and
plain and the facts are within the
knowledge of all and too obvious Tor
controversy.
How much longer will the people
consent to be robbed and submissively
permit continuation of this outrage?
The trusts have their being and grow
by special legislation; they live and
wax fat by governmental favoritism. II
the question is ever presented whether
the trusts shall own and run the gov
eminent and enslave humanity, or
whether the people shall own and run
the trusts-not for the benefit of the
few, but for the good of all-and free
the industrial masses-then shall vote
for the people and in favor OF govern
ment ownership of the trusts
All the legislation bestowing special
benefits on the few is unjust and
against the masses and for the classes
1t has gone on until less than eight
per cent OF the people own more than
rwo-thirds of all the wealth of our coun-
try. It has been truly said that mon
arches are destroyed by poverty and
republics by wealth. If the greatest re-
public the world has ever seen is de-
stroyed, it will fall by this system Of
robbing the many for the benefit OF the
few.
THE people who oppose and condemn
trusts will receive no announcement
from this trust-ridden and trust-oWned
ney general is the mere creature of the
trust.
I'VE are entering a most momentous
political campaign to determine the
question whether the trusts or the gov
eminent shall survive. w neither the
people of plutocrats shall rule, whether
this land shall continue to be a govern
ment of the many and for the many or
an oligarchy of the privileged for the
favored few. You ask me what will be
the outcome? 1 can not TELL but 1 be-
lieve history repeats itself-that God
in His infinite wisdom raises up a man
from the plain people for every crisis,
and in the pending crisis we have such
a man, a born leader of men whom we
can all trust and whom we can all fol-
low, and who will lead US to victory
and rescue the people from the money
lenders and the money changers.
I'VE are beginning another momen-
tous campaign under the leadership of
another Thomas Jefferson-the stall
wart, the fearless, the gallant, and the
intrepid young leader of Nebraska,
William J. Bryan, to test the perpetuity
of popular government and of our free
institutions and by the grace of God
and the power of the free men of Amer
administration will give the govern
ment of Jefferson, of Jackson and of
Lincoln will carry it forward unim-
paired for another century and genera
lions yet unborn will sing the gladstone
songs that the government of the peo-
pie, by the people and for the people
shall not perish from the earth