Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-09-18
FREEDOM FROM TRUSTS.
No Republican President or Congress
Has Up to the Present Brought
IL About.

IL About.
For six long years the republicans
have had control of all branches OF
the government, executive, legislative
and judicial. During this period the
organization and growth of the trusts
has been most pr life and their extor-
tons from the psblic have been EN-
larged and extended to most of the
necessities of life. The coal combine
and the beef trust are examples OF
the growth of combinations during
this period of republican administra-
ton.
The opening of this era 81 republican
rule was emphasized by the enactment
of the Dingley law, many. schedules OF
which were not only intended to pro-
tect the combines, but were actually
prepared by attorneys of the trusts
and therefore were entirely in their
interests. The trust magnates, finding
themselves securely i~ntrenched and
protected then began a series of great
combinations that staggered the COM
mercial world and have gradually
raised prices of most necessities to the
highest notch ever before known.
Naturally the voters begin to kick
at these eXactions and attempts were
made by the democrats in congress to
reduce them. The present executive
in his first message to the congress
recommended publicity as an antidote,
but no notice was taken of this recon-
m%endation by the republicans in con-
gress. 1t remained for a democratic
senator to propose an amendment to
the census bill on the lines of Presi-
dent Roosevelt's recommendation. A
vote was taken and all the republicans
present voted against it and all the
democrats for it, but it was defeated,
for the republicans were in command
of the situation.
The political situation became
more acute and upon the close of the
first session of the Fifty-seventh
congress the president determined
to take the stump and try and stay
the tide that was flowing in favor
of controlling these vast corpora
tions. 1t appears from his speeches
that he has no remedy to offer other
than publicity of trusts transactions
unless an amendment to the consti'
tuition can be had, but this would
only be available to a future gen
GRAFTON and the voters are clamoring
for immediate relief. To change the
constitution requires two-thirds o.
congress to vote to propose it, ant
three-fourths of all the states tt
ratify such change. Clearly this il
an impossible achievement if tn
present temper of congress is con
tinued, besides the further obstacl,
of all but one-fourth of the state
agreeing to the same. The corpor
atoms control over one-third of tn,
senate was stated by Senator Nor
gan, and it is doubtful if they d.
not control a greater percentage o
the present house of representatives
Under these circumstances can tn
republican party be relied on to con
troll the trusts? 1t would seem t
be unlikely and improbable. Grant
r ing that President Roosevelt is sir
r cere in his trust batting, will he b
l able to bring his party to the sam
form of mind? But unfortunatel,
. there are strong indications that tn
president himself is but lukewarl
in his antitrust fight. If he wer
e sincere, would he be silent On til
principal remedy for stopping tn
extortions Of the principal combine
S by saying not a word about revisin
d the tariff and thus cut off the pr
lection that these combines now e.
e Joy, and which allows them to feet
the people to the tune of from 30
: 100 per cent?
e Nor does he say a word about ii
coal strike or lift a finger to stt
q it. yet there would seem to be a We
open. The law of Pennsylvania TO
bids railroads to operate mines
q manufactures of any kind, and Il
e federal antitrust law provides tn
II combines can be punished by fiji
Il and Imprisonment and the .iudici
arm of the government could enfor
n it.
The miners of Pennsylvania ha
III behaved with wonderful moderate
u but no word of praise or encouraa
"a ment has been vouchsafed them
d. the president, though he enlighte
liz the public on mucn less importa
matters at great length and minut
sc ness.
1t is, therefore, useless to lo'
for relief from trust exactio
from a republican president or a !
u publican congress; they are bound
;. their idols.