The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-25
Bryan Says It Is INDICATED
Again by Decision in the
i. Merger Case.
Democrats Should Insist That All
the Trust Makers Be Pros
ecuted.
Trust Question Will Be an I'm
portant Issue, if the Party
Does It's Duty.
Special to The Journal.

Lincoln, Neb., March 25.-1n the
decision in the Northern Securllles
case w. j. Bryan thinks ne sees an
issue for democracy. he oAscu0oes
the decision as follows:
The decision In the merger case imposes
q dutv on democrats as we'll as upon the
administration The antitrust law Is held
to be sound and effective, but 1t must
be- enforced before it can bring RELIEF TO
the public. The democrats must no" IN
sst upon the enforcement or the law.
Justice Holmes, in his dissenting opinion.
says that indictments logically ought 10
follow the decision and the democrats
in congress ought to insist that the at
torney general either prosecute or explain
why rich and powerful ,violators Of the
law are given immunity while poor ana
obscure violators are promptly punished.
Not only should the law be enforced
against those who violated 1t In the mer-
ger case, but it should be enforced against
those who are violating in it the almost
innumerable trusts. Are not the steel
trust the coal trust, the Oil trust, the
sugar trust, the beef trust, the salt trust,
the cracker trust, the tobacco trust, the
whisky trust, the harvester trust, ETC.
are not all Of these violating the Sherman
antitrust law? Why are they permitted
to live and prey upon the country? The
democrats should press this question. If
cision does not reach single corporation,
but only combination Of corporations, the
democrats should insist upon new legis-
lation covering all private monopoies,
whether they operate as single corpora
ton or as a group of corporations. The
Kansas City platform presents remedy
and the merger decision vindicates the
principle involved in that remedy.
Congress Has the Power.
Congress has power over interstate COM
rnerce and that power alone can deal eff
fectfvely with the trusts. AS long as a
CORPORATION confines itself to the state
from which it derives its charter, the
people of that state can be trusted to
deal with it, but when 1t crosses the
state line and invades interstate commerce
it COMES under the supervision or con-
gress. Congress has made 1t criminal
offense for two or more persons to con-
spire to- restrain trade. This ought to
cover conspiracy by persons in one COT
poration as we'll as conspiracy by persons
in control Of separate corporations. IT 1t
does not do SO, it Is easy to prepare
bill. that will. --"..- 'Ta IT,
The Kansas City platform proposes a
measure making it unlawful for state
CORPORATION to engage In interstate COM
merce without first securing a federal
license or permit, and 1t proposes that the
license or permit shall be granted only
after proof that the stock Of the corpora
ton Is not watered and that the cor
poration Is not trying to monopol1ze any
branch Of business or the production or
sale Of any article of merchandise. Here
Is a simple remedy, remedy easily ap-
Piled It does. not interfere with any
legitimate corporation, but, on the con-
trary, aids every legitimate corporation
by destroying the greedy and conscience
less monopolies. .-,-..
Up to the Democrats.
II the democrats expect to win the con-
fdence of the people they must propose an
effective remedy. It is not sufficient to
rail at the republicans or to ask them
for a remedy. The people are looking for
relief and they demand positive, agrees
siye action. The trust question can be
campaign If the democrats will do their
duty. Let them call the attention Of the
country to the question by refusing to
consider anything else until satisfactory
action Is taken.
If the republicans are required to bring
in a rule for every measure and are each
time reminded that the trusts still live,
they will be forced to decisive action or
to abjeot apology. Cato, after visiting
Carthage, resolved never to make a speech
without declaring 1t as his opinion that
Carthage should be destroyed. The dem
ocrats In the senate and house might well
paraphrase Cato's famous saying and each
day demand q vote on a resolution de-
claring that private monopolies must be
destroyed" The Kansas City platform
points the way; will the democrats live
up to that platform or run from it?
subterfuge Of the .Reoreanizers.
Concerning the reorganizers, Mr.
Bryan says:
The reorganizers are trying to secure
uninstructed delegations, filled up will
men secretly pledged to Cleveland, Hill
Parker German. Olney or some other rep
resentative of the reactionary element IL
the party. Why do they not ask for in
struct1ons? Simply because they know
that their candidates are not strong will
the people.
Let the friends Of the Kansas City plat
form instruct for the reaffirmation Of thu
platform. no matter whether they meet il
a caucus, county convention a distric
convention or a state convention.
the friends Of the Kansas City platform
can agree on presidential candidate i
is we'll enough to instruct for him also.
Instructions are democratic They, ex
press the will of the voters, and the vot
ers have a right to bind their represen
tatives. If a would-be delegate object
to instructions, let him stay at home I
the reorganiZers believe in honest poll
tics let them come out into the open an
present the issue to the people. The
dare not do that, for they cannot appea
to the masses.