Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-13

CANNOT BIZ RELIED UPON.
II the democratic party had never
had an opportunity to legislate against
the trusts or to enforce the antitrust
law enacted by the republican party, the
present appeal to the people of It's lead
ers to repose confidence in It might
have some weight. But the record of
the party in regard to the trusts shows
c%onclusively that It cannot be relied
upon. The democrats have never been
able to agree upon any practicable
policy in respect to the great industrial
combinations. Fourteen years ago a
democratic committee Of the house of
representatives investigated the trusts
and reported that no agreement could be
reached as to a plan for dealing with
them. The committee was hopelessly di-
vided on the question and left It to the
determination Of a subsequent con-
gress.
In 1890 the Sherman antitrust law
was enacted and went into effect. This
was in fulfllment Of the pledge made
in the republican platform Of 1888. A
democratic president and congress came
into power in 1893 and they did moth
ing to enforce that law or to render
1t more effective. On the contrary the
administration declared the act Of 1890
to be defective and inadequate and the
only attempt made by the democratic
congress to deal with the trusts was a
provision in the tariff law of 1894-the
law which brought so much disaster to
the industries and labor Of the coun-
try-which even the democratic admin
istration paid no attention to. There
was an opportunity then for the party
to strike the trusts, but 1t failed to i'm
prove 1t, although the demand for some
action against the combinations was
hardly less general and vigorous than
it is at present.
At the first session Of the Fifty-sixth
congress the judiciary committee of the
house, by a strictly party vote, reported
a constitutional amendment to apply
to all territory subject to the jurisdlc.
ton of the United States. This pro
vided: Congress shall have power to
define, regulate, control, prohibit or dis
solve trusts, monOpolies or combina-
tons, whether existing in the form OF
corporations or otherwise. The several
states may continue to exercise this
power in any name not in conflict with
the laws of the United States. Con.
gress shall have power to enforce this
article by appropriate legislation" The
democrats, with four exceptions, voted
against the proposed amendment, while
all the republicans but two voted fol
it.. Failing to receive the required two.
thirds vote it was lost.
In view of this record what faith car
the people have that the democratic
party, il given the power, would 90 any
thing to overthrow the trusts, beyond
perhaps %enacting multiplication legis
lation, which would be disastrous to al
industries2 A southern democratic con
gresham is reported as saying tina
when President Roosevelt ''gets the
people educated and aroused to the
necessity of action by congress OF
this question, a thing which not only
he, but the democratic party, ii
doing, these same people will hav,
also come to realize that the demo
cratic party is the only hope they hav,
for the accomplishment of this purpose
The people are giving very careful at
tention to this question and it is not ap
parent that the democratic view re
garding it is growing in favor.