New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-21
rHr nEMocRLTIc TRCsT RECORD.

?
What Is tle Democratic party's record as a
prosecutor Of trusts Authorities WITHIN lhaI
marty differ radically in appraising its achieve
rnenfs as a trust e1terminatOr under the war
rant Of the so-callcd Sherman act. The Sher-
man oct became law in 1890 and stood on NO
.ts,,,te hooks through the whole Of TIE second
cleveland administration. Daring th"-' -'ui
wears the Democratic party, in full coHifoi OF
fbe machinery Of the federal courts. had ahpIe
,-nortunirv 10 disclose its attitude toward
trusts bv Initiating or not Initiating pro
ceedings against conspiracles in restraint OF
trade According 10 the candid coIIesSloh
OF one eminent Democratic authority, Inc
NoU-yo-k World" the Cleveland administra-
lion failed slgnally to recognize It's powers VI
obligations under the antitrust act mat act
'.rbe World" contends remained a dead letter
..on rbe statute books during the entire second
torn OF Grover Cleveland. All efforts TO nave
"fhe law enforced were met with sneers oeers
"and open contempt from Democratic Atlorhe!
General Richard Olney. who pretended thHt
'tbe law was unconstitutional. and who W"uiu
do nothing toward prosecuting violators o. IL
Had the Northern Securities suit not been
brought and pushed 10 successful coilcIusi"A
hv q Republican administration, This judgment
on the mastery inactivity Of the Department OF
Justice from 1898 10 1897 would probably never
Ia been
nance 20 the claim that the Democratic party
has been relentless. IL not an effective up
rooter Of trusts the startling discovery Is now
being made in certain Democratic quarters that
+I,e S.IDreme Courts recent decision was really
biased on decisions secured by the Cleveland
administration" This truly amazing and novel
theory Is uropounded by "The Philadelphia
Record" which Indignantly rebukes The
World" for its mistaken conception OF Mr..
Cleveland's and Mr.. Olney's purposes and de-
clares that Il is pitiable ignorance or miserable
-,ncndacity 10 say that the law Of 1890 remained
"A dead letter during the entire second term OF
Mr.. Cleveland"
What occult proofs there may be Of the sec
ond Cleveland administrations zeal 10 enforce
the Antitrust law we do not know. But we
Doubt # either Mr.. Cleveland or Mr.. Olney
would seriously contend that the energies Of
that administration were ever exhausted in any
effort 10 bring offending trusts 10 book Mr..
Olnev showed about rs much respect for
tho sherman law as he did for the upper
branch Of Congress. in which IL originated He
was credited with saying that il was measure
through which any good lawyer could drive
coach and four. Mr.. Cleveland. in an interview
in The Philadelphia Press on the results Of
the merger decision also seems 10 think that the
attitude OF his Own administration leaves some
thing 10 apologize FOR. lie says:
The question Of the government taking legal
action against the so-called trusts was given
r,luch consideration during my last aduinistra-
tIon recall that examined closely the laws
and received reports from Nr. Olney as 20 what
could be done I was most anxious TO have
something done but we were blocked by de-
cislons Of the Supreme Court. which. az that
time. tied our hands.
It seems almost needless 10 point out that the
Sherman act was unchanged when the present
Administrations action against the Northern
Securities Company was begun and that the
same Supreme Court decisions continued 10
'tie its hands" Mr.. Clevelands admissions
seem 10 tally pretty fairly with The Worlds
charges They leave no doubt as 10 what the
Democratic party's record as prosecutor OF
illegal combinations has really been.