Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-03-24
THE TRUSTS AND POLITICS.

THE TRUSTS AND POLITICS.
The recent decision of the Supreme
Court in the Northern Securities Company
case has very sharply aroused public at
tention again to the trust question. 1t ls
evidently the intention Of the Democrats
to use the decision for political purposes in
the coming Presidential election, just as
they have used the trusts on former SINH
lar occasions They have very adrotly
posed as the enemies of trusts, thereby
seeking to win the support of the masses,
but have all the while kept the good will
of the combines by doing nothing TO break
them up.
The indications are that the Democrats
will pursue the same double and insincere
course that they have travelled over here.
tofore. They will insist that it is the duty
of Republican Administration to engage
in an indscriminate prosecution of all
business combinations that partake of the
ma ure of a trust, for the reason that the
law has now been plainly laid down by the
Supreme Court. The object, OF course, in
insisting that the Government shall go
into a general smashing of the trusts will
be to excite the hostility OF business COM
binations toward the Republican parry,
aud t. win the sympathy of the people,
who dislike the combinations, for the
Democratic party, upon the false idea that
the latter party is the enemy of trusts.
The President, however, has from the first
taken bold but conservative position on
the trust question He does not think
that it ought to be treated as a political
question or issue, and the Republican
party is likely to hold the same view.
They hold that it should be considered as
matter Of public morals, and as affecting
economic conditions. Questions of that
kind should certainly not be approached
in partisan way, but from high bust
ness and patriotic standpoint.
When they again seek to make political
capital out of the trusts they will he con-
fronted with their very damaging record
on the gu ston. They will he shown to
have never done anything by Congress
iousl, Executive or Judicial action to sup
press or regulate the trusts. 1t will be
shown that the antitrust law on which the
decision Of the Supreme Court in the
merger case vas based was drawn by a
Republican, passed by a Republican Con-
gress and signed by Republican Pref
dent.
The first successful effort to enforce the
Sherman antitrust law was made by the
Republican President, Theodore Roose'
yelt 1t is useless to say that Attorney
General Knox, who acting under the
Presidents instructions prosecuted the
case against the Northern Securities Com
pany, is Republican.
1t is significant fact that the three
Democrats who are on the Supreme Court,
towit, Chief Justice Fuller, Justice White
and Justice Peckham, dissented from the
opinion as read by Justice Harlan, who is
a Republican. ALI the five judges who
made the decision, which is now the law
as to trusts, are Republicans.
Olllcl JusIlC6 Eull6T, VI 4IllliOio, "Al'
Justice White, of Louisiana; and Mr.. JUS
tice Peckham, of New York, were all ap-
pointed members of the Supreme Court
by Mr.. Cleveland while he was President.
The antitrust law was enacted prior to
Mr.. Cleveland's second term but was al
lowed by him and bis Attorney General,
Ricnard OlneY, to remain imperative
Now Mr. Cleveland's three appointees to
the Supreme Court not only vote against
the constitutionality of the Sherman anti
trust law but declare that the law is dan.
gerous to the Republic.
These plain truths will be presented to
the Democrats whenever they undertake
to make the trust question one favorable
to their interests.