The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-31
REPUBLICANISM ANALYZED.
Attitude of the Administration on
Two Great Issues Of the Day
Defined and Inconsistent
cies Pointed Out.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL

hours intervening before time for the public
meeting. Judge De Almond met hundreds
Of his old friends. not few of whom ex-
pressed their keen regret that he would net
make the race for the United States Senate.
Tonight Mr.. De Almond delivered a
| speech replying to President Roosevelt
antitrust enunciations and defining the hy-
pocrisy' of the party of the administration
| on the two leading issues of the day-trusts
and reciprocity.
Tells of Republican ScrambIing.
The congressman had been charged by
resolutions adopted by Republican county
convention to-day with opposing rural free
delivery and in the course of his speech to-
night he defended his course in a ma <1er
| that shamed his defamers
| He declared that he had favored rural
free delivery. but when citizens of Clinton
| complained that in defiance of policy an
nouncved by the Department only Republi-
cans were being appointed carriers he had
addressed three letters of inquiry to De-
partment, receiving no reply until he was
| in the Philippines, when he was informed
| that appointments were held up pending
| investigation.
A Department official afterward told him
that here was such a pressure brough by
wrangling Republican factions in Mis-
souri, that the Department did not know
what to do. The Congressman declared he
had firmly opposed the abolition of small
postoffices on rural free delivery routes, ex-
cept by consent of their patrons.
A great crowd listened to the address,
punctuating It at frequent intervals with
expressions of approval. Mr.. De Almond
spoke as follows:
Tho President has been saying a good deal
subject He
entertain the opinion that the trusts may become
bad and, indeed. that some OF them already
are bad. and that It probably will be- or perhaps
is now. necessary or at least advisable to try
to do something with them them. Evil
IDENTIFY, he does not know what to do or to recon-
mend to others to DO He has gone no farther
than TO suggest that publicity would prove
very effcicacious, and thRt 1t might be well
enough TO amend the Federal Constitution so as
to give the general government full control over
all corporations, in the hope that, having
plenary power, wholesome and efficient Federal
laws, wholesonely ard efficiently administered
by the Federal authorities, would les sen il not
cure the trust evil.
Publicity, cure for trust Affections is an
old remedy in theory, having been suggested
tificate. That publicity would be good no one
doubts; that 1t would go far enough
complish enough. surely ought TO be-
Heye. That II would be valuable, at times to
stock gamblers is evident. But the masses Of
the people do not deal IN STOCKS and publicity
would not be SO directly beneficial to them.
be required to make public what the trust mag
mates would wish TO keep secret: And what
temptations they would have TO meet and resist
And what would happen when the trust man
ayers. either by misleading or corruptIng gov
eTnment investigators would make pubic, py au-
thority OF the Government. and its act. the
facts Of fabricatons which II would be to their
interest TO have given publicity?
Willing to Try Prescription.
With the hope that publicity would give the
Government gleater control over the trusts would
there not De ground for some apprehension that
the trusts would influence the operation OF
the machinery as TO increase their control over
the Government?
Whatever of good there may be in publicity.
let US not be deiuded into the belief or the hope
that 1t will prove the remedy for the trust il,s
from which suffer.
At the same time let try the publicity pre-
script.on What Is the reason the Presidents |
party does not give it to us2 The Democrats |
favor 1t, and long have favored 1t.
Amending the Constitution, TO take from |,
the States what control they have over cor /
porations. and to center all power over them in /
the Federal Government-that is what the Pres, |
ident is now urging as the best thing tnat has |
yet occurred to him in the way OF treatment for |
the trust affiction. He must know that II is |
practically impossible to amend the Constitution |!
in any important particular. Two-thirds of botb |
houses of Congress, of the Legislatures OF two |
thirds OF the states applying therefor. are nee !
essary to get an amendment to the Constitution
submitted; and then three-fcurths of the States
must act fayorably upon the proposed amend 4,
fraction OF either house Of Congress in excess OF
one third. twelve Of forty-fve States can i
defeat any constitutional amendment.
Powerful the trusts are, and fast as they !
are increasing in power. do you think they would |
be idle or Indifferent IL an amendment really OBJ |
Jectionable TO them were pressed?
Why Deprive States of Power.
And then why should the States be robbed of !
all power over corporations. the President
proposes? Are you ready for that remedy hero in
Missouri? Do you not know that Missouri has
,,,ar to hnr aOpta frorn he.
RACES of the trusts than the Federal Govern
ment has done IS doing?
When the constitutional amendment of which
the President is new q strenuous advocate,
before the last Congress- just before the election
OF 1900 the Democrats urged that instead Of !
taking from the States all power corpora
tons and. trusts and depending solely upon the
Federal Government for protection against the
trusts full power TO investigate. regulate. re-
strain and. IL need be destroy the trusts be
lodged in the general Government and in each
and every State. the first moving in any par
ticuar case to have complete Jurisdiction in that
case.
This real remedy was rejected by the Repub-
leans. and evidently they opposed to 1t yet
They wish TO do something with the trust sub
ject, but they not willing to do anything to
which the trusts are much opposed.
most interesting and instructive chapter in
he history Of our times and politics is that
which tells about the Cuban reciprocity bill The
President urged upon Congress the duty and
he wisdom OF passing a law TO provide for
-eciprocal trade relations with Cuba whereby
portion OF the existing tariff duties imposed
" our present law-the Dngley bl-wouId be
emoved from articles imported from Cuba. an6
corresponding reduction in the Cuban tarIr |
chedule would be made in favor of American i'm
oorts TO Cuba.
PrOtectionists' Alarm.
The duty. the President argued. grew out OF
,ur peculiar relations to Cuba-having hampered |
Ter in her Intercourse with other Governments |
md practically confined her to the United States
or market for her products should lower |
ur tariff upon those products 50 that she might |
i've.
AS for the policy involved. the President set
orth that, by obtaining from Cuba a comets
ion by which American products could enter |
he Cuban market upon the payment OF a lower |
arin rate than that eNacted of the people of |
ny other nation. we would supply the Cuban,
Tith about everything they would get from |
broad. TO the great business advantage OF our !
eop,e.
believe the President was right upon both
oints.
The majority OF the Republicans in the House {
( Representatives favored a bill providing for 7
temporary reduction Of 20 per cent in our
arin duties. upon articles imported from Cuba
onditioned upon the like reduction in the Cuban
arin in favor. But strong Republican
minority vigorously opposed the bill. some q,
hem upon the ground that the proposed retiuc- ]
lon would injuriously affect the beet sugar in | a
ustry In this country, and others upon the | .
heory that 1t would be dangerous to '.protec- ! !,
on' to interfere with the tariff; that once the
.ast breach Is made in the tarIm wall more !
nd greater breaches may be expected
Present Tariff Reducffou