The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-04-10

sssSl e. beRihE Co look rs IL tine SIfeS1dent.
has been tanned by some bod " and we.
rather, suspect that 8 Senator \ Mark
I Hanna knows more, Il bolt It than lie,
will admit. AS { tlies C0lumbia State
says the roaring .ll0h or November
the meek md peaceful lamb OF April.
What o Transformation I in tho brief
span Of six months!' The State goes
on to say that the bold, brave talk OF
President Roosevelt. last fall caused
the antitrust people to applaud. The
pictorial papers represented the siren
uous chief executive as Goliath,
brandlshing q knotted club, and re-
ducing all unlawful combines to their
proper state. Yet it was noticed that
the trusts were exhibiting no signs Of
mental anguish. Cases or nervous
prostration were not reported in that
class, and Hanna still smiled cht erf IL
ly-dOubtless winked this trustful eye
The great man who fries out the fat
for the Republican campaign expenses
said nothing In public. He let the
president set Off his antitrust fire.
works, but later, in heart to heart
talks, doubtless revealed the true
situation. The presidents speech on
The Trusts Friday at Milwaukee
reveals thorough knowledge Of the
situation from the standpoint I Of
Hanna and Picrpoint Morgan.
Between almost every two lines of
MIR. Roosevelt's address there is
apology Tor the trusts Or disapproba-
tion Of those who are fighting the un-
lawful combines. The attempt is
made to burden all the honest trust
fighters with the ndiscriminate
fanatical attacks on capital by social
lists. The president processes abSo-
Lutte satisfaction with the anti trust
legislation OF the last congress, when
it was we'll known early in the session
that he favored more effective
method of combating the immense
power Of the monopolies. The presi-
dent quotes at length and with the
highest appreciation, as demonstrate
ing the Important work being accom-
pliShcd, the performances OF the inter
state commerce commission and Attor-
ney General Knox in preventing u
railroad deal here and equalizing a
freight rate there While these re-
strictions on the graft OF certain cor
porations in localities do not touch the
real trust evils affecting every buye
in the union as we'll as many Of tile
producers, the president has magni-
lied them into accomplishments full
iilling the demands of the public. But
lie ncglectS to furnish the important
information that the work he praises
was completed or well under way when
he made his demands last fall for udc-
Quate laws TO control trusts.
Great stress is laid ON the CfIcc-
tivcncss OF the new publicity law,
when the department or cummercc
is given the means of enforcing it. 1t
seems that the willy Rcbublicans
authorized an army and commissioned
Il general but failed to provide the
sincws or war, SO even the benefits To
be derived by the public from pub
licity will be indefinitely postponed.
The criminal weakness Of this law is
that 1T leaves 1t TO the discretion OF |
officials to decide what corporations |
are to have their affairs made public. !
Even the ingenious Hanna could not
have devised a more effective fat fry-
ing scheme. 1t is not in the blood or
bone Of Republican officials to kill
the goose that lays the golden eggs,
and a, contribution Of n million
or two TO the campaign md will |
guarantee the secret conduct OF
any kind Of highway robbery. Again.
the act declared by President ROose-
vclt to be admirable and all-sutTicient
applies only to those trusts formed
after said act goes into effect, thus
making immune the tremendous com
binations already operating.
Move cautiously, ''go slowly!
take time," avoid raShness,,, '.don'L
cripple business" are the burdens OF
our crstwhile trust busters" speech.
He strcnuously opposes reduction OF |
the protective tariff OH trust products. |
That would be killing the patient to
cure the disease, he says. What |
sophistry! by such reasoning, by such
contentious, the Republican party is
breeding Socialists and anarchists as
foul, stagnant water breeds mosqui-
toes. The need Of the oil Of Dcmoc-
racy is most urgent. The people de
mand that the former leaders in the
party which represents the people
cease growing ut each other and that
they face the common enemy. There
is timber for a platform in President
Rooseyelt's speech"