The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-24
Control by the Owners, or by tho
Government p Which Is 1t to be?


This is what WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
President Of the United States, said at
Richmond, Va, on the last day Of Octo-
Der, 1899:
principles and should BE- IL. aione-encouraged
rather than hlndered in their efforts to increase
the trade OF the country and ond new and pront.
able markets for ther products
During McKINLRY's life the managers
Of the Republican party kept the FORE
going laisses fatrs utterance conspicuous
in party publications. 1t was the chief
issue In the second Presidential cam
paign in behalf OF its illustrious author.
Az chairman Of the platform COM
mittee OF the Republican National Con-
vention Of 1883. MCKINLEY reported
the first antitrust resolution in any
party platform. He was chairman Of
tho House Committee on Rules when the
Antitrust bill OF 1890 came thithsr from
the Senate. He proposed q special rule
to promote its immediate passage. This
rule the Democratic leaders in that body
opposed. as they did tho bill in It's early
stages, although they finally did not vote
against it. Yet as President, Mr.. McK1N-
LEY was not jealous in antitrust prose-
cutions in the courts.
His term opened on March I. 1897, but
the several prosecutions Of railways
under the law of 1890 either had been
begun before that date or began after
his death. Not till the end Of the month
of his first Inauguration did the Supreme
Court decide that the Antitrust law OF
| 1890 covered railways, and by the close
vote Of S to I that the Government need
not affirmatively prove restraint OF
trade to be unreasonable In order to
convict under that statute. Even the
Addystone Pipe suit seems to have been
begun on Dec. 10, 1895. while Mr.. CLEvE-
LAND was President.
Mr.. MCKINLEY felt-and the Repub-
licans who stood around him from March
| 1897, till the day of his murder seem to
have shared the feeling-that organized
private capital. aided by two or three
general laws relating To the currency and
| the tariff, enacted after his Inauguration
had started that phenomenal prosperity
of the country, which is now threatened
with different treatment. He believed
that tho employers, without whom there
cannot be employment, are as necessary
as the employed. He recognized the
capitalist to be the one who, in the
| great commerce. determines what shall
be done, organizes it's means and super.
intends its execution, as completely az
GRANT or LEE ever secured victory in
war by his unseen decisions. He dis
cerned that unless capital and labor are
free, the Government will manage
industries, and do it badly. The cry fol
publicity Of private business, FOL
Government control of enterprises which
organized private capital conducted
with such perfect success, began after
McKINLEY's death.
1t is due. however, to those who made
Republican platforms and laws in the
years lSs7-0O that we recall the fact
that those years saw the prevailing agri-
cultural discomfort. developed and for
INFLATED by Granges and Wheels, which
eliminated in two powerful Farmers
Alliances, one Northern and one South.
ern. The Interstate Commerce law came
in 1888, during CLEvRLAND's first term
He selected Commissioners who were
satisfactory, but the farmers movement
against railways was active at the enc
Of 1890. when, at Ocala, the Southern
Alliance demanded national ownership
| Of railways II the existing law failed tc
give relief, and the Northern Alliance
at Omaha, month later, insisted un
oonditionally on railway socialism.
During Mr.. CLEvR1.AND's second tern
the railway situation steadily improved
The conduct Of his Interstate Commerce
Commissioners pleased the country. and
during oil OF McKINLEY's service a
President subsequent to that Of CLEyE
LAND. the transportation problem seemed