The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-07

uIeo0 VI Emu fNooL, temporary CHAIR
man of the Republican National Com
mittee on the various issues. dissected
the platform and showed it's weak
ness. He discussed the currency ques-
ton and the condition Of the country
under Republican and Democratic
rule.
The Trust Question.
AS to the attitude of the Republican
party toward the trusts Mr. Williams
said:
Let us see what the Republicans
have to say for themselves in connec-
ton with the great trust question. This
is the language of the platform: Laws
enacted by the Republican party, and
which the Democratic party had fail
ed to enforce have been fearlessly en-
forced Here are the statements, first
that the Republicans instead of both
parties, enacted the law, which is not
true; second, that the Democratic party
had done nothing; and third, that the
Republican party has enforced the
law, which is only partially true. Now
the fact is that although the Demo-
Gratis only had a four years Opportun-
ity and although the trust evil was
neither very acute nor very prevalent
at that time, Attorney General Har-
mon under Cleveland's administration
found the suit Of the government
against the trans Missouri Freight AS
socia ton lost, took it up, revived ii and
won it. He then instituted suit against
the Joint Traffic Association and also
against the Eddystone Pipe Com
pany. These two cases were decided
for the government after Mr.. Cleveland
went out, it is true, but on the lines
laid down by his Attorney General, and
the principle established in the case of
the government against the trans Mis-
souri, Freight AssOciation-the princi-
pie there contended for by CleVeland's
Attorney General is the principle which
gave life to the proceedings in the
Northern Securities and which led Gov.
Van SAINT, and not the Repub-
licans as has been falsely pretended, to
inaugurate that case. Nor is it true
in any proper sense that the Republi
can party deserves much credit for en-
forcing the antitrust law. The boast
that the administration has executed
the antitrust laws, is of course, ridic-
ulous. The Attorney General in re-
Spouse to a resolution of my own,
frankly confessed that nothing had
been done and left the inference that
nothing would be done towards the
criminal prosecution of the men found
guilty by the Supreme Court in the
Northern Securities case of having VIC
lated the law and incurred its penal
ties. The Attorney General in answer
to another resolution failed to show
that anything substantial was being
done, civilly or crminally, against the
anthracite coal carrying railroads. and
anthracite coal mine owners, Constitut-
ing together in violation of law, one
of the greatest trusts in this country.
I'll rrfff
had proceeded at great expense to get
up the evidence. the Attorney General
in that case, hid behind the pretext
that it would be contrary to public
policy for him to give Congress any
information as to what he was doing
or would do.
Then there follows the boast of hav-
ing perfected the interstate commerce
law The absurdity of this statement
is demonstrated by the actual condi-
ton of things. A more ridiculous piece
of official impotency than is the inter-
state commerce commission at present
does not exist" For this Mr.. Williams
charged the Republicans with being
responsible.
As to the Tariff.
II read from the Republican plat
form again: Tariff rates should be re-
adjusted only when conditions have so
changed that the public interest de-
mands their alteration
Fearing on this declaration Mr.
Williams said:
Does not everybody know who
knows anything, that the Republican
party has no idea of making any alter
alton in the tariff unless it can
thereby purchase the support of ad-
ditional special interests or tie to
those already bought special inter
ests by yet closer bonds? The plat
form then goes on to say that these
alterations cannot be safely committed
to any other hands of the Republican
party What has been the matter
with the hands of the Republican par
ty since 1897, or for the last your
years? Even if it were admitted that
tariff changes ought to be made by the
friends of the iniquitous discrimina-
lions and extortions of the present
law, rather than by the friends of the
general interests and common veal
(Which is the same thing as admitting
that the changes ought to be made by
the Republican partly, why has not
that party already made any of them
1t has been in fun power in the Sen
ate, overwhelmingly in power in the
House. and unanimously and strenu-
ously in power in the White House.
w no Is lneTe lIlil NOtS IlOl hilON that
this verbiage was inserted into the
Republican platform with the view of
enabling the Iowa idea men and the
Wisconsin idea men to go back home
and say they have gotten something,
and thereby save their faces as the
Chinese say. Who believes for 4
minute that the party which has re-
fused every tariff alteration thus far
proposed intends to recognize any sort
of conditions or any sort of demand,
or any public interest in connection
with the question? Who does not know
that the only way public interest can
make any demand for any alteration
effective is by putting the Democratic
party in power?"
An Historical Untruth.
The Republican platform. Mr.. Will
liams said. had to contain the usual
historical untruth, that "a Democratic
tariff has always been followed by
business adversity-a Republican tariff
by business prosperity"
Designing and ignorant men have re-
peated that so often that | am afraid
there really are a good many people
who believe it. and vet it is bad his
tory again. In this connection. he con-
tinued:
From 1901 down to the outbreak of
the Civil War. the country was nine
tenths of the time under Democratic
ascendency with Democratic tariff
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