Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-05-15
BE 1T REMEMBERED.


Mr.. Reames says congress has
power to control the trusts. He
should have explained that it was
reserved for a republican presi- !
dent to insist in unequivacal |
terms that congress exercise that
power.
For years the democratic party
has demanded that trusts and
corporations should be controlled.
When it had control of both the
legislative and executive branches
of government it made no real
attempt to institute any measure
of control. When such measures
were attempted by the fepubli,
can party they were opposed by
democrats as an ursurpation of
power belonging oalv TO the sew
ecal states. The wicked trusts
and corporations had been
brought into existence through
the operation of state laws.
Their rights, privileges and pow
ers were defined and protected
by the charter granted to them
by state laws, and the federal
government could not touch them
unless the national constitution
were first amended. The demo-
cratic party, always the party of
ultra state rights, invoked the
ghost of the dead doctrine and
sent it jabbering through the
halls of congress. The party
press repeated the fearful mutter-
ings with many dark innuendo
and really succeeded in frighten-
ing not few we'll meaning men
into accepting federal control of
trusts as an assault upon state
rights.
The Sherman antitrust law
was by this means, made made
quate to exercise control before
it was permitted to be enacted.
1t was given out that congress
had exhausted its constitutional
power and could do nothing fur
ther. In spite of the weakness
and possible treachery of few
republicans, the great republican
party has ever been honest in its
purpose 10 control harmful trusts.
Its accredited leaders and hun
I dreds of its rank and file believ-
ed efficient control without con-
stitutional amendment lay in the
power of congress.
A president confirmed in tl.is
view by the opinion of lis attor-
n y-general, called for amended
legislation. He is now execut-
ing the laws. It is no longer an
open question. Congress has
power TO control the trusts.
Even so tenacious a states rights
democrat as Mr.. Reames now aG-
mits this and would fain pass it
off as a democratic discovery.
It will not be accepted. The
democratic party welded to the
corpse of state rights and insti-
gated by a spirit of unreasoning
opposition to republican measures
has long and persistently stood
in the way of federal control of
the mighty corporations we des-
ignate as trusts.
All those measures and po1i-
cies which so-certainly have ad.
vanced our national greatness,
have given US amazing material
and industrial development and
brought us unexampled prosper
ity were sullenly and persistently
opposed by the democratic party.
This is history. Many of the
most benefcient of those meas
ures and policies would be re-
versed, set aside, destroyed were
that party again IN power. This
would be history repeating itself.
Yet Mr.. Reames, democrat, a
good democrat in perfect accord
with his party, saturated with
its spirit of negation, obstruction
and blind partisanship would
have us believe he is better fitted
for usefulness in congress than
Mr.. Hermann is, notwithstand-
ing the latter's most valuable ex-
perience and approved fitness.
Republicans, and we believe not
few democrats, will refuse to
take Mr.. Reames at his own self
estimate.