The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-06-15
DEMOCRACY AND TRUST LEGISLA.
TON.

TON.
Gen. Grant once remarked that the Dem
ocratic party could be depended upon to
blunder at the right time. In this remark
the silent man on horseback most correctly
sized up that party in his characteristic
way. While Bryan insists that the lead
ing question of the campaign shall be sill
yer, it has been the intention of the DEM
ocratic leaders to shift that as much as
possible into the back ground, and bring
to the front that of trusts, not because De-
mocracy has any we'll defined ideas as to
how these great modern combinations of
capital shall be treated so as not to inter
fere with industrial matters, for it has not
but because they thought it might make a
popular campaign cry. But the people do
not exhibit any indications of being rushed
by campaign cry this year, and they
have been carefully sizing up Democratic
pretensions as to handling the trust ques
tons, and all indications have pointed that
it was not at all favorable to Democracy.
In the first place that organization has not
put forth the first ineligible or practical
scheme for the control of trusts, so that
the abuses which have grown up with them
may be eliminated. It's whole disposition
has been to cry humiliation, and oppose
whatever the Republicans might propose
in behalf of the regulation of these great
representatives of modern industrialism.
And this led the leaders of Democracy to
put themselves in box regarding the con-
stitutional amendment, giving congress the
power to legislate for the control and regu-
lation of trusts, which was proposed by the
Republicans. This proposed amendment
was defeated by practically strict party
vote in the house last Friday, only five of
the opposition voting with the Republi-
cans for it, and but two Republicans vot-
ing against it.
Nothing has shown the insincerity OF
Democracy as has the action of its accred-
tied representatives on this question.
Their assertion that the Republicans were
not sincere in putting forward this amend
ment does not help them in the least, in
the bad position in which they have placed
themselves. The Republicans stand on
record as putting forth practical attempt
to put corporations under federal supervis-
ion, while the Democrats stand on record
as opposing legitimate and practical
proposition. That is the long and short
of it.
Had the Democrats been sincere in their
professed- desire to regulate trusts, they
would either have accepted the proposed
amendment, with the statement that it was
not exactly what they thought it ought to
be, or they would have drafted new one.
But they did neither. but took stand on
which they must go before the people in
the campaign now opening. as opposed to
any practical method for the control of
trusts. In short, as opposing legislation
that will effectively strike at the abuses
that arise from cooperative capital, and
favoring the continuance of the present
condition of affairs No other construc-
ton can be put upon this course. On last
Fridays record they must stand in the
presidential campaign, and the Republi-
cans can not be other than satisfied from
a party standpoint, with the turn affairs
have taken.