Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1902-09-20
ACCEPTING THE ISSUE
DEMOCRATS ARE ASKED TO DE-
FINE 1T CLEARLY.
They Have No Trust Remedy to Pro-
pose Outside of the Worthless and
Destructive One of Smashing Protec-
ton in Order to Smash the Conn
bines.

The Boston Herald recently began
an editorial with the following words:
1T may be claimed as an open ques-
ton as to whether the Republican par
ty really accepts the trust issue as be-
fore the American people in the cleo
ton contests of the present year.
Now the Boston Herald is one of
our very contemporaries, having the
ability to analyze and expose nonsense
when it SO desires, and to state it's con-
clusions-the sentence quoted to the
contrary Notwithstanding clear
and vigorous American, and so in or
der to start the subject, as they say in
debating societies, we respectfully ask
our contemporary to state what is the
trust issue?" We ask in good faith,
for we do not know.
Now we hope that our contemporary
will not be fippant and evade the
question with the remark that the
trust issue is "the removal of the pro-
tective duties under which trusts
thrive because it knows as well as
we do that the tariff has nothing to do
with trusts. Many Democrats do not
know that, but the Boston Herald does
because it is an able journal. 1t de-
sires the removal of protective duties,
and. like many other political journals
sometimes condescends to play upon
popular prejudice to promote what it
deems a beneflcient end. But in q
heart-to-heart talk 1t would disdain
such foOlishness and we ask it to state
the real trust issue-confessing that
we cannot ourselves do it-because we
are sure that If the thing can be done
anywhere it Is in the office of the Bos-
ton Herald Now, to help matters
along, we will ourselves be as definite
as we can by saying that by the
trusts" we all mean the consolidation
of industries, financial and commercial
enterprises which is going on through
out the world, in free trade and pro-
tested countries alike, and upon the
high seas, out of the reach of any
tariff. ANY movement in opposition to
this consolidation must be either to
prevent or break up these consolida-
lions or to regulate and control them
If it is proposed to smash the trusts
how does the Herald propose to pro-
coed? If it is proposed not to pre-
vent or abolish, but to regulate, what
are the things now being done by
trusts which should be prevented, and
how, under the national and state con-
stitutions, can it be done? We do not
care to hear about the publicity"
remedy. Doubtless we must have
light to see our work, but the work
will still remain to be done.
An issue would be raised by
proposal that Congress shall enact a
constitutional law which shall abolish
or restrain the trusts without injuring
general business. Any one can propose
such law. Have the Democrats pro-
posed any? If so, there may be an
issue which we do not know Of
If it is not believed that under the
constitution congress can pass any eff
fective law an issue could be raised
by proposing a constitutional amend
ment. The Republicans have done
that and every Democrat voted against
it and defeated it. 1t must therefore
be assumed that the Democrats op-
pose giving congress unquestioned au-
thority. If that be the case, the only
national issue which can be made is in
respect to some law either forbidding
consolidation or prohibiting CONSOLE
dated management from doing certain
things. Will the Herald kindly in
form US what the Democratic party
proposes and the Republicans oppose,
SO that we may understand what the
trust issue is?-San Francisco Chron-
iele.