The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-04-02
HITS AT CLEVELAND.
SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
OPENS UP ON TRUSTS.
Declares That Former President Never
Opposed Combines-Repub-
licans Passed Anti
Trust Bill.

Opposed Combines-Repub-
licans Passed Anti
Trust Bill.
The republican national campaign In
Rhode Island was opened at Providence
on Wednesday, March 20. under the aus
pieces of the Young Mems Republican
club of that city. Foremost among the
speakers of note was Leslie-M. Shaw,
secretary of the national treasury, who
| in pointed and humorous way attacked
Former President Grover Cleveland on
the trust question and the merger case
| as follows:
mo sooner was the result Of the merger
case announced than the opposition inaug-
urated widely varying and inconsistent
| tactics to rob the administration of the
| fruits of its victory. Some demanded the
F, institution of similar suits against every
| large business and producing enterprise
| and every consolidation Of railroad inter-
| ests. whether of competing systems or OF
! continuous lines.
1.-THE most amusing effort to avoid a
| comparison of republican and democratic
! administrations, to the great advantage
of the former, appears In recent inter-
view by ex-President Cleveland. He does
not claim to have recommended any anti
trust legislation during either of his admin
istrations He does not claim that any
| antitrust legislation was passed during
| either of his administrations. He does not
claim credit for any litigation ever insti-
tuted to suppress any trust or combination
during either OF his administrations. He
simply seeks to explain why nothing was
done. and he places the responsibility
fharafnr 10
ton and upon the fact that the Northern
Securitle, company was not organized dur
ing his administrators.
Cleveland Had No Remedy.
IT am very glad that the ex-presdent has
again commenced to take notice. notwith-
standing the Mckelway letter. Eight
years Is a long time to remain In mourn
Ing. But now that he has voluntarily en-
, tered the lists and invited comparisons he
cannot complain II comparisons BIO made.
"Mr. Cleveland was first inaugurated
president March 4, 1885. Neither In his in
augura, address nor liz any message does
he mention the subject OF trusts until i'm
mediately preceding the election OF 1888.
In his last message preceding that cam
paign he refers to the existence of COM
binations frequently called trusts and
| closes with this sage conclusion:
The people can hardly hope for any
consideration in the operation OF these
| selfish schemes
| "He recommends no relief and suggests
no remedy.
| Nevertheless the congress to which this
| comprehensive statement OF fact was sub
| mitted. a majority of the members of which
| belonged to his school of political thought,
| appointed commission to investigate the
! subject. The purpose of the commission
was to convince the people that their inter-
ests were not being neglected, at least dur
ing the campaign, and that If Mr.. Cleveland
was reelected some remedial legislation
would follow. To that end this commission
held meetings from time to time through
out the campaign.
Mr.. Cleveland was not reelected how
ever. but when congress reconvened, in a
paragraph of five lines he refers to the
subject of trusts and closes with this sad
and terrifying announcement:
" Corporations, which should be the
carefully restrained creatures of the law
and the servants OF the people, are fast be-
coming the peoples masters.
But he recommends no relief and sug-
gests no possible way of escape.
Two days before tho Inauguration Of
President Harrison the commission to
which / have referred made its report
setting forth what evidently appeared to
the commission as most deplorable con-
dition:
"'Your committee respectfully reports
that the number Of combinations and trusts
formed and forming in this country is, as
your committee has ascertained very large
and affects 81 large portion of the important
manufacturing and industrial interests of
the country. They do not report any list
of these combinations, for the reason that
new ones are constantly forming and Old
ones are constantly extending their rela-
lions SO as to cover new branches of busl-
ness and invade new territories
Their words OF encourage ment which
| follow must be read in the light of the fact
| that two days later republican congress.
| elected some months before, was to con-
| vene. Listen:
"'Your committee further reports that
owing to present differences of opinion be-
| tween the members of your committee
| they limit this report to submitting to the
| careful consideration of subsequent con-
| crosses the facts shown by the testimony
| taken before the committee.
Both the president and the commtte e
| acknowledge the existence of harmful
trusts and combinations, but neither holds
| forth to the people any ray of hope except
| at the hands OF those who were about 10
| fill their seats.
| Republicans Pass Antitrust Bill.
1.-THE republican congress was not long
| inactive. The very first bill introduced
| In the senate of the Fifty-first con-
| senate file No. l. 1t passed both houses and
received the signature OF Benjamin Har-
rison
1.-THE passage OF this act was followed
| by several suits for its enforcement and
several decisions by the supreme court
were secured. declaring It constitutional
and applying 1t to various conditional
Then, on March T. 1893, President Cleveland
was again inaugurated and In his inaugural
address he refers to trusts, saying:
These aggregations and combinations
frequently constitute conspiracies against
the interests of the people and In all tn cir
phases they are unnatural and opposed
to our American sense Of fairness. To the
extent that they can be reached and re-
strained by federaLpower the general gov
eminent should relieve our citizens from
their Interference and exactions.'
HE suggests no modification Of the Sher-
man act and recommends nothing I'm It's
7 place. but in harmony with the teachings
OF state sovereignty craftsmanship, OF
which he always ha6 been and therefore
always will be a diligent student, he sug-
gests that It Is very doubtful whether the
federal government has any Jurisdiction
In the premises.
Cleveland Discouraged New Laws.
''That was in his inaugural address. He
does not again refer to the subject of trusts
In y,assaga or prnria m tim until necAm.