The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1903-04-25
THE POLITICAL EFFECT OF THE MER-
GER DECISION.


Il candidate for denomination has II
strengthened him. or has ii weakened
him-IIow has il affected the "hig" fin
ancinl magnatcs-will they feel more
kindly towards him. and open their
purses us contributors to his successful
ity with the masses or weakened him
with the CLASSES +:
These. and similar questions can Ia
heard ON every hand
1t is undoubtedly true. that the first
effect of the decision was to excite til"
anger of the financial world. and to in
tcrprct the aggressive attitude of the
\ administration against iii" Trusts. as i'll
spircd by motives of ambition on the
part Of the President.
With the magnat"S of Wall Street. tn"
| effect of the decision may be accepted
as unfrrndly to III" President
On the other hand. may il not he cor
rrctly assumed, that the President can
INV ~ ''i''' NV l''Pl'' ill' pl'l''i'N
| claim the credit of having enforced Anti
Trust Legislation to the extent of his
ability. ana point to the decision as cvd-
| cnce that his effort has been successful,
ana as in sustaining his opinion. that
| combinations in restraint of competition
can he more effectively reached and cor
rcctcd. through the Courts, than through
| the reduction of tariff rates
While differences Of opinion may exist
| among the momicd classes as to the in
| ucncc of the decision. yet to tn" aver
| age observer. the victory of the Govern
influence of the President against the
Northern Securities Combination. must
lend added impetus to the Presidents
popularity with the MASSES Of the pco-
pie. simply because the decision largely
relieves the Republican Party of the
stigma. of being under the control and
domination Of the money power Of the
country.
| As AN offset to this view. it may hc
interesting to note the opinion entertain
ed by the springfield Republican" one
of the most conservative and indcpcuI-
cnt journals of the country.
| 1t takes the ground. that the country
having srrm. that one MouopoliStic Rail
road Combination can be smashed. SINH
lar proceedings should be had against
all similar, and other combinations. or
in other words. what can he done against
| them, must be done, if the Republican
| Party and its President are to be Justly
entitled to any credit in the premises.
| The Democrats" says the Republic
can. "as competitors of the President in
| working the trust issue. will sooner or
| later find themselves in no very bad posi-
| ton. The country is full of trusts. of
| railroad combines. of competing trade
interests that have merged in restraint of
trade and there is the President armed
| with the new power of law enforcement
which this decision against the Northern
Securities Company has placed within
his grasp. The political opposition can
| now demand that the President shall en-
| force the law against all violatorS of it,
When the President or his friend boaSiS
of what he did against the Northwestern
| railroad monopoly, the opposition can
| fairly ask why he has not attacked II Ger
tain other monopoly-herc. there every
where. He cannot rest with one ease of
law enforcement. He cannot show fav-
| oritsm as between monopolics The
| question is sure to arise Il year from now
| particularly in the next Presidential
| campaign whether the trusts have actu-
ally diminished in number or have lost
| Il summer. and II court decision against
| a single merger does not sweep the field
of the monopolies."
AS II partizan answer to the plea for
| cntruSting the CURLING of trusts to Mr..
Roosevelt and the Republican Party. this
| line of argument will not be without
force since there is little if any public
"Xpcctation that an aggressive campaign
against all monopolistic combinations is
to be inaugurated by the present Admin
Stration. and, so long as it is not. the
radical opponents of trusts will be able
To point To the one performance in this
| line as II proof of what might be done
with the Presidency in the right hands
| rather than II demonstration of good az
tually accomplished.
| But plausible as this argument may b."
the fact remains. that President Roose-
vclt's Administration is committed to the
doctrine that no monopolistic combine
tions are necessarily inevitable, and the
Significance of this fact will not be lost
upon the people.
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