The Tucson citizen., 1902-07-09
DEMOCRATIC ISSUES.

If President Roosevelt should be sue
cessful in securing effective antitrust
legislation at the coming session OF
Congress. the Democratic party will be
without an issue in the approaching
Presidential campaign. There is,
of course. the tariff, always an issue,
but If legislation sufficiently protect
ing the people against the trusts
should be enacted. the tariff, which the
reformers allege is the fortiflcation OF
the trusts. will become a question of
'c!s importance to the voter.-Phoenix
l.epubiican.
Here We have plea. an excuse and
a confession. 1t is a plea to the Re
pubicans in Congress to accept the die
tum of the Democrats and enact anti
trust legislation; it is an excuse for
the failure OF the Republicans to do
anything to curb the trusts in the past;
it Is a confession that the trusts are
expressing the people and that legisla-
'ion for their control or suppression
is necessary to the public welfare.
The candor of the Phoenix Republi
car is more to be admired than its dis
cretion as party organ. Neither
Roosevelt nor the Republican party de-
sire any effective" antitrust legisla-
ton. Roosevelt in his message 70
Congress advised that the trusts be
RI b1.ff XaJ,-
cans of Congress have been as solid as
stone wall in opposition to every
proposal to relieve the people from
trust exaction. From all parts OF the
country a cry went up to Congress for
relief from the trusts. The response af
the Republicans in control is nothing.
The bin to give the interstate COM
merce commission power to enforce its
decisions and stop unjust ulscrimina-
tion in railroad rates in favor OF the
trusts lies buried in a Congressional
pigeon-hole. The efforts to remove
tariff donations to the most grasping
and arrogant of the trusts were all de-
feated Cuban reciprocity was killed
rather than take away the sugar trusts
differential gouge. Even Roosevelt's
little plea for publicity as to trust deal
ings Vas turned down.
The Republican majority in Con-
gress. in its besotted subserviency to
the trusts, neglected almost entirely
urgent public necessities Manufac-
turers from all parts of the country
begged for the formation of a Depart
ment of Commerce, to promote foreign
trade, but their prayer was unheeded.
They asked for the reform Of the con-
sular sevice in the same interest but
nothing was done A similar fate met
all proposals for reform. The pure
food act, which was drafted by the
pure-food convention. to prevent the
adulteration of foods. received no no.
tee. The plea OF labor unions for a
def1nition Of conspiracy" in iniunc-
ton cases was denied The righteous
demand Of Arizona. New Mexico and
oklahoma for admission to the Union
was postponed.
These facts show a character In the
action OF the Republican majority In
Congress that IS significant. It is The
neglect OF tho important and necessary
aifalrs of the people in order that the
rule OF the trusts might not be dis
furbed. and that imperial exploitation
in the Philippines might be com
pieted. A dozen Philippine govern
ment bills would not lessen the exac-
tons of the beef trust the sugar trust
or the steel trust, or relieve the objec-
uonable features Of government by in
junction This is the theory of i'm
perialism-to entertain the masses with
a bauble while their serious interests
and real welfare are neglected.
And the Phoenix Republican can rest
assured that the next session of Con-
gress will be no more productive Of
measures for the public welfare than
the session recently closed. There Is
no hope OF relief from the exactions of
the trusts SO long as the Republicans
have majority in Congress. The trusts
own and control the Republican party.
The party now In power is fed and