Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-09-24
some TRUST HISTORY
Futility of Democratic Propo5i-
tions Against Them.
LITTLEFIBLD's SPLENDID SPEECH.


The Plan TO vest AutocrntIc Power
In the President--Practical ODlec-i
tions to the Plan. -t,
Absolute autocracy, power in the
president of the United States limit
less and unrestrainod beyond the wpd-
est dreams of tyranny, would be the
practical and inevitable outcome OF,
the only Democratic plan yet proposed
as the remedy Of that party for the
evils in the trust system. Bryan whcE.
in congress offered two bills to place
trust-made articles upon thc free list.
but the Democrats did nothing with
them, although the house was In their
power. Last year the house commit
tee on Judiciary presented two reports
upon the subject of the best way to
remedy any possible evils in trade
combinations. The Republican mem
bers, mindful of the United States SUI
prcme court decision that congress
can 90 nothing except in clear cases
of interstate commerce, because the
constitution prevents all other action,
as it stands. proposed an amendment
to the constitution that would give to
congress all the power thut it now
lacks and needs.
Tho Democrats opposed this and of.
fCrcd as substitute an elaborate bill,
which they made practically q meas
ure OF their party. This Democratic
report of May, 1900, was their attempt
TO put into practical effect Mr.. Bryan's 81
bills of 1894, and also must be taken.
as clearly representing the purpose of
the Ohio Democrats this year in their
platform of 1901, wherein they declare
that the "eXistence and abuses Of
trusts have been brought about by the
policy of protection Of favored indus
tries" and demand the abolition Of
the so called protective system and
the substitution in its place of the
traditional Democratic policy Of a
tariff for revenue"
Because this began with Bryan and
has been brought down to date by the
Ohio Democratic platfo m Of 1901, this
Democratic bill of May, 1900, must
stand as their only proposed legisla-
ticn to put their theory into effect
By their own measure, therefore, let
them be Judged. Its twelfth section
reads in there very words:
THAT whenever the President of
the United States Ghall be satisfied
that the price Of any commodity or
article of merchandise has been en-
hanced in consequence OF any nonop-
oily as defined in this act, he shall Is
sue his proclamation suspending the
collection of all customs duties or i'm
port taxes on like articles of merchan-
disc or commodities brought from for.
eign countries. Such suspension shall
continue as lQnG as such enhancement
in pfices& sslets golhmolities or arti-
cles of Inefchanaise exists. and dntil'
revoked by the proclamation OF the
President" ,t
The Inherent a1d utterly over
whelning monstrosity Of this meas
uro, solemnly submitted to congress
by all the Democratic members Of the
House committee on Judiciary In May,
1900, (rot the work of some loose
minded Individual, but the deliberate
Judgment CT the best legal minds of
that party in congress) was well, yet
hardly briefly, exposed by Representa-
live Littlcfield OF Maine in his speech
Of juno i, 1900 He said:
Ny first objection-it may be
Democratic objcctlon-is this There
never was attempted to be written
into the statute books of any state or
of the United States a provision so
violently imperial and czar-like as this
proposition. 1t gives to the President
Of the United States the power to en-
force upon an organization w.nch is
assumed to be criminal, for the ex-
press purpose of punishment, and that
punishment is expected to be business
ruin, the penalty Of the law without
even giving the offending party tho
right 10 be heard. The President
brings the charge; he tries the cause;
Ia renders judgment, and he executes
she sentence. II that is not czarism,
lf that Is not imperialism, IL that Ia
not Capitalization run mad, I ask you
10 distinguish 1t. Search the records
of this. country or any other and see
y you can find anything to counten-
ancc for one moment statute which,
under any circumstances, so fragrant
ly violates the fundamental law as to
authorize any man to pass upon the
guilt or innocence of any other man
or set of men without ailowing them
m opportunity to be heard. 1t Is only
in the Internal regions that they de-
termine cause without hearing. Yet
that is the proposition of our friends
on tho other side"
All! but some one says, "1nls is no
more than the Republicans propose by
their policy Of reciprocity, for that
gives the President power to suspend
certain features of the tariff laws
Such statement is inaccurate, TO say
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