The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-07

forced Here are the statements: First, that the republicans, instead of both par ties, enacted the law, which is not true; second, that the democratic party had done nothing and third, that the repub- lican party had enforced the law, which
 Is only partially true. No, the fact Is, that although the democrats only had four years opportunity, and although the trust evil was neither very acute nor very prevalent at that time. Attorney General Harmon, under Cleveland's ad- ministration, found the suit of the gov ernment against the Missouri Freight association lost took it up, re- viyed it. and won it. He then instituted suit against the joint trraffic association and also against the Eddystone Pipe com pany. These two cases were decided for the government after MT. Cleveland went out, 1t 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 Missouri Freight association-the principle there contended for by Cleveland's attorney general-is the principle which gave life to the proceedings in the Northern secu- rites case and which led Governor Van Sant and not the republican party, as has been falsely pretended, to inaugurate that case.
 Nor is it true in any proper sense that the republican party deserves much credit for enforcing the antitrust law. What mas the republican party done in this re- gard? One of the chairmen of the repub- llcan conventional have forgotten wheth- CT it was the temporary or permanent chairman-says it has 'enjoined the beef trust
 Has No Practical Effect. ''We would have known it if somebody had told us. The injunction does not seem to have any practical effect on the beef trust or upon the price of beef steak. I think 1t was the permanent chairman of the republican convention who said that the democrats killed trusts with wind and the republicans with law. Where are the corpses? There Is but one that l know of, and 1t properly belongs to Governor Van Sant. It is the spoil of his sword and his spear. The boasts that the administration has executed the anti- trust laws, Is, of course, ridiculous. The attorney general on the response to res- olution of my own frankly confessed that nothing had been done and left the infer ence that nothing would be done towards the criminal prosecution or the men found guilty by the Supreme court in the
  lated the law and incurred its penalties.
 "The entire republican party at the last session of the house of representatives, with three exceptions, voted against proviso instructing the secretary Of the navy not to enter into governmental con tracts with trusts and unlawful combina- tons designed by law as outrageous. In another resolution, the administration failed to show that anything substantial was being done civilly or criminally against the anthracite coal-carrying rail- roads and anthracite coal mine owners, constituting the ground in violation of law of one of the greatest trusts in this country Although private American cit- izens had proceeded at great expense to get up evidence, the attorney general in that case is hiding behind the pretext that it would be contrary to public poll icy for him to give congress any informa- ton as to what he was doing or would do.
 Trust Buster Favored by Trusts.
 This same trust-buster' as my good friend MT. Joe Cannon would have us be- lieve him to be, Attorney General Knox, has just been appointed by the governor of Pennsylvania senator from that state, at the demand, so the newspapers all say OI the very men NHo CoHSlilulc this unlawful combination, or who are at any rate the presidents of the railroad companies and the owners of the mines constituting it. What are you going to do when the trust buster is busted, is re- moved or promoted out of the way? Then there follows the boast of having per fected the interstate commerce law The absurdity of this statement is demon- strated by the actual condition of things. The interstate commerce commission has been knocking at the doors of congress for years asking for power; at least when a given rate after investigation and full hearing of both sides has been decided by the commission to be unreasonable, to declare what rate would be reasonable in its stead, and to make this rate opera tive until set aside by due process of law on appeal, review. or otherwise. more ridiculous piece of official impotency than Is the interstate commerce commission at present does not exist. It can declare a given rate of fifty cents, let us say, to be unreasonable, but as 1t cannot pre- scribe what would be reasonable in it's stead, the railroad can do one of two things it can either take an appeal, which suspends the decision of the com mission while the appeal Is being long drawn out by the railroads interested or it can change the rate to forty-nine and a half cents and when that has been de- clared unreasonable. can cnange 1t again to forty-nine and quarter cents, and when that has been declared unreasona- be can change it to forty-nine and one eighth cents and so on, ad lnhintum, compelling the newly aggrieved citizen in each case to bring suit at the risk of 1 being punished industrially by the rail- road for what 1t calls 'unfriendly con duct and without the hope of any sub stantal immediate redress
 Democrats Have Demanded Relief.
 "A bill to give the interstate commerce commission power not to declare rates generally. not to fix a schedule of rates for all the roads in the country engaged in interstate commerce, but power mere ly to declare a reasonable rate in its stead In particular cases where a rate estab- lshed has been declared unreasonable, this rate to be maintained until set aside by law has been pending before the com mittee on interstate and foreign com merce in the house of representatives since this congress met, and although the democrats on that committee again and again demand consideration of the bill and although delegation after delegation of merchants and members of merchants and shippers associations have been to Washington begging enactment Of 1t or 1 like legislation, nothing has been done. ! The republican party here, as elsewhere 1 stands pat
 ' 'I read from the republican platform again tariff rates should be readjusted only when conditions have so changed | that the interest demands their atera- tion.' Public interest In this connection. ! lgrta t1p ha oh hae tff far rad