The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-05-03
A MEANINGLESS OPPOSITION.

The ambiguous, makeshift platform
plank against trusts adopted rerently by
the Ohio State republican convention is
not deceivlug any one so far as the press
returns show up to the present time.
That something had 10 be said was an
admission indeed that trusts had become
National evil, but how to handle the
subject without giving offense to the
trusts themselves was the real question
with Mr.. Hannas convention. This was
the final deliverance:
Tho republican party OF Ohio stands cotn-
mltted to legislative and executive oppostion
70 the threatening combinations OF capital
mat seek to restrict competition and stiie
borders tho capltalistc investments that are
material to the industrial DEVELOPMENT OF the
state and the largest endowment NJ labor
but we insist that injurious combinations
shall he forbidden and so-oalled trusts shall
% restricted to guarantee immunity from
huftiul monopoly and assure fair treatment
and protection to all competing Industries
Under this resolution just think OF the
questions that can be raised For ex-
ample, which are the threatening COM
bInations" that seek to restrict competi-
tion?" All the combinations" deny any
such purpose. What arc the ones that
ARE material to the industrial develop
ment OF the state?' What are the "in-
furious combinations" and the soc called
trusts?" The combinations that are not
threatening" or Injurious the Wash
iugton Times thinks It is comparatively
easy to determine. Commenting on this
subject it says:
Certainly not the Standard oil company.
whose hons and homo church are in Cleye-
land That nious and educational entity can
not be regarded as offensive, since IL is not
long ago that at its behest the tariff en-
crude Oh was dropped in Puerto Rico and
the taritt on refined oil preserved so that the
standard OIL company might have monopoly
Of the Puerto Rcan market through the
operation OF its rehneres In the island Mr..
Hanna can not class the Sugar Trust as "iu
furious because he was in full accord with
tina movement through which the Dlnglev
tariG sugar schedule was dictated by that
trust. lie certainly can not consider the To-
bacCo Trust a ''hurtful MONOPOLY" since IL
Is only the other day that the admnistra-
tn1 violated tho constitution in order to
give II protection from domestic manufac-
american uort Indeed Haunn can not really
believe that any kind OF trust is either "in
furious" or "hurtful"
When, again. we compare this platform
utterance dictated by Mr.. Hanna with
declaration made by him only a short time
ago, We can begin to see, also. what char
acter of "capitallstlc investments" he
would Invite within the borders" OF Ohio
and the other States. He was quoted as
saying;
So long as tho trusts have not proved
menace to business nor TO the labOring inter-
ests Of the country. so long as all that Is
said about them Is merely talk and nothing
a curse to the country. | believe they should
be let alone Tss combination Of capital
FOR ono purpose oT~another is not political
question at all. II is business question and
ought not TO have been BROUGHT Into politics,
And that ls just what Mr.. Hanna and
his machine made platform in Ohio have
done vlrtually--let the trusts alonol And
that is what the republican National con-
vention will have virtually TO do-let the
trusts alone. VIGOROUSLY dependent ON
these great Combinations" for campaign
assistance, what force and effect eau at
tach to any republican platform utterances
that appear to advocate the regulation
or suppression of the trusts? The Amer
lean people may be indifferent to their
best Interests at times, party spirit may
often dominate judgment and patriotism
but the people as whole are not fools