Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1900-07-26

grand progress and grand history tno
Democratic party calls simperlalls
.'The Revolutionary war, the civil war,
and the Spanish war are the three sres..-5
epochs in our history. The hrs gave
birth to the republic, the second estap-
lished its vitality, and the third eSlehoeu
its blessings to distant climes ana u sesi I
peoples. The Revolutionary war mad rs
George Washington. the Civil war is
Lincoln. and the Spanish war It's Ms
Kinley. The task Of our president mas
been Herculean, but he has acquitted MIN
self Of the same as a giant among the
foremost statesmen Of the world. he mas
acquitted himself of the same IN the
spirit of our great republic and as became
its foremost citizen. There were men
that were blind and could not see in
the days Of George Washington and
Abraham Lincoln, as there are to-day,
but the record made will stand, for the
presen. as for the past. an imperishable
monument to the American people and
their great statesmen.
Next to their love for free silver and
their dread of imperialism, the Demo-
Gratis claim is their. hostility to trusts,
monopolies and unlawful combinations.
They not only assume to be. the great
antitrust party. but they charge US with
undue friendship for the trusts. unfor-
tunately for the Democratic party, the
facts fail to support. their contention.
There are but three. acts in our federal
statutes that relate in any way to trusts,
n,onopolies and unlawful combinations.
The first of these is the so-called inter-
state commerce law of 1SS7-passed by
Democratic house and a Republican SEN
ate. In the nature of the case, its anti
trust provisions are limited to common
carriers engaged in interstate commerce.
Then there is the provision in the Demo-
cratic tariff act of 1894 prohibiting COM
binations between importers and others
in respect to imports, or prices of the
same: and this was the limit Of Demo-
cratic legislation, though they had con-
troll of all departments of the govern
ment. But the principal and only general
ard
Comprehensive Antitrust Law.
is the act of 1890, commonly called the
congress. AS interpreted by the supreme
court of the United States, through
Democratic chief justice and other judges
of the court. this law is good and valid
and covers pretty nearly the entire field
ton of this act the supreme court holds
that, under the Constitution of the United
States. federal authority is limited to
commerce and traffic, between the sew
eral states. with foreign nations and with
Indian tribes, and with the territories Of
the United States; and that commerce or
traffic wholly within state and begin
ming and ending there. and mere manu-
AZ 6iyoctod Of inf
state traffic are not within the scope Of
federal legislative power. GU. S. We.
Knight 156 L. s. Ours is dual govern
ment-state and federal-and the federal
government is one of limited powers, pre-
scribed in the Constitution. The chief
legislative power for controlling and reg
ulating trusts rests with the several
states. And there is only one of two ways
open to secure complete legislative relief
so far as such relief is possibe-and that
is by getting every state in the Union to
pass a strong and perfect antitrust law,
supplemental to fedora! legislation. which,
owing to the varied and diversified in
dustres and interests of the several
states, is difficult to accomplish; or else
by comforting upon the federal govern
ment, by constitutional amendment, great
err power and authority in the premises.
This last plan was attempted by the Re-
publicans in the house of representativ
in the last congress. A bill for a consti-
tutional amendment giving the federal
government greater power to regulate and
control trusts, monopolies and unlawful
combinations, was introduced by Re-
publican member and put to vote. but
failed to get the required two-thirds vote.
although the Republicans voted for it in
a body. because nearly the entire Demo-
cratic vote was solidly against It, On this
occasion their old-time idol of state rights
stood between the Democratic party and
their assumed hostility to trusts. The
house of representatives also passed at
the last session of congress. under the
auspices of the Republican party. bill
to enlarge. improve and strengthen the
remedial features of the Sherman law. 1t
came to the senate too late to be acted
upon at that session. but I have no doubt
it will be taken up and duly considered
and acted on at the next session of con-
gress Here then, is the federal legis-
lative
Record of the Two Parties.
1.-THE Republicans passed the Sherman
law. passed a bill through the house to
strengthen this law and made a thorough
effort to pass constitutional amend
ment to confer greater and much needed
power upon the federal government for
the control and regulation Of trusts. The
Democrats, on the other hand, passed the
tariff act of 1894 embracing the antitrust
provision as to importers and imports.
and opposed en- masse the passage of the
constitutional amendment which l have
referred to. And both parties joined in
passing the interstate commerce law.
From this statement it is plain that, in
the matter Of antitrust legislation, the
| balance is largely in favor of the Re-
publican party. and that outside of their
| platform the Democrats make the poor
est kind of showing. and that. whatever
may be their attitude on trusts In gen.
eral there is one trust they have warm
side for. and that is the silver trust
But must pause. have made these
brief and perfunctory remarks to brush
away some of the Democratic cobwehs
that lie in the pathway of our honored
guests-the National Republican league.
The leagne oni its work arc NOT