Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-11-19
RULE OF THE TRUSTS
How It Dominates Vital Con-
gressiona1 Legislation.
IN LEAGUE WITH REPUBLICANS.

works In the Interest of Trusts.
The Scandals of the Present. Adj
iniStratiOn but a Sequel to the
Laxity In High Places.
That the trusts, combines and rail
road corporations have a firm grasp on
the United States and that their fnter-
ests are protected and conserved by the
Republican leaders in congress have be-
come more apparent since their move
ments have taken larger flight. During
the past month the extraordinary as
sIrance of Senator Hanna in openly an
purpose to pass the ship subsidy bill if
reelected to the United States senate is
characteristic of the boldness with
which the Republican leaders publish
their connections with those interests
that furnish the money to carry cleo
lions. This open parade of graft in high
places is precisely the same in effect as
the Doodle proclivities of aldermen and
others in the cities. The only difference
is, in the case of Senator Hanna, the
contributions of the trusts are used for
debauching the voters and purchasing
legislatures, while the lesser lights in
the political armament personally pock-
ct the gifts of the corporations. The
amount of money involved is vastly
greater in the Hanna deal, for it has to
cover not only Ohio, but in national
elections the whole United States OF
course in both cases a return of favorS
is expected for these disbursements by
the trusts and corporations. The recipi-
ents are expected and doubtless prom
Use in return for the Doodle to work and
vote as the trusts demand. When that
immense corruption fund was donated
to Senator Hanna by the Pennsylvania
Railroad company and Mr. G. a. Girls
com, both interested in the American
line of steamships, does any one doubt
that a bargain was entered into that
Senator Hanna was to vote for and en-
deavOr to pass the ship subsidy bill,
which would transfer $100,000,0O0 or
more 10 the Golfers of the corporation?
The law already provides that for ev-
cry mile their ships run they receive 81,
so that every round trip to Europe is
subsidized for carrying the mails to the
tune of $4,000, or about $2SS,O0O for
each ship during the year. But these
harpies for the government bounty are
never satisfied and continually Cry,
Give, give! And the Republican leaders
seem quite willing to accede to their
demands Senator Hanua has declared
there must be no legislation against the 1
trusts, and he is only carrying out the
promises made in 1896 and 1900. An
article in the November number of
Leslie's Monthly on "The National Lob
by at Washington written by the ed
itor of that conservative and reliable
publication, says:
Senator Hanna is the chairman of
the Republican national committee. In
that capacity he collected in 1896 for
the election of Mckinley the largest
campaign fund ever expended in the
United States Again, in 1900, he col
lected an enormous sum. This money
came mostly from the trusts, the great
financial institutions and the protected
They all demanded
more. First they wanted
a high tariff, and this they got in the
Dingley bill. Rockefeller, Morgan, Hill.
Hartman, all wanted to be let alone
and permission to go on with their
trust building. Griscom wanted a ship
But Senator Hanna is not the only
congressman by a large
that has dealings with the
trusts. The same article enumerates
many others, among whom Senator AL
drich of Rhode Island is described as
king of the senate HE represents
1t says, more great interests than any
other man in congress"
HE deals only with the captains of
industry and the colonies of finance
with the Roc1efellers. the Morgans, the
James J. Hills, the E Fl. HarEimans,
the w. X. Vanderbilts. the Schwabs.
the Carnegies. the Armours, the Swifts,
the Cramps"
The description of the service that
Senator Aldrich renders these inter
ests is juicy reading. 1t describes his
close connection with the Standard Oil
and the Rockefeller and Morgan group
Of railroads; 1.-The jokers'' concealed in
the proposed currency legislation; how
in the preparation OF the Dingley bill;
the steel trust likewise. The beef trust
and the anthracite coal trust are spe-
cially described as his clients and his
fight in their interest when the Demo-
cratic senators were fighting for the
farmers and the people against these
mighty combinations.
1t is hardly to be wondered at that
this administration has been smirched
and discredited with scandals and that
post office frauds, land frauds, naval
frauds, Indian frauds, pervade every
department. of the government. That
"the strumpet of corruption stalks in
aled horror through the land" is CO.
incident with this laxity of the admin
and when senators of the
United States are in league with trusts
and corporations to rob and extort
from the people to pile up more mil