The Irish standard., 1908-08-29

strengthened and its real objects bet.
ter attained by such amendments as
Will give to the federal government
greater supervision and control over,
and secure greater publicity in, the
management of that class of corpora.
tons engaged in interstate commerce
having power and opportunity to ef-
feet monopolies.'
On the Antitrust Law.
The Sherman antitrust law was
passed ls years ago; it has criminal
clause which provides a penitentiary
punishment for those who conspire to-
gether in restraint of trade. Ever since
the enactment Of the law, with the ex-
ception Of four years, the Republican
party has controlled the executive de-
partment of the government, and dur.
ing two years of the four 1t controlled
the house Of representatives. Instead
of Democratic dereliction, the Demo-
cratic party has been urging year
after year the strict enforcement of
that law and the Republican party has
been explaining year after year why
1T was impossible to enforce it. In.
stead of being a wholesome instru.
ment for good it has been almost
useless, so far as the protection of the
public is concerned, for the trusts have
grown in number, in strength and in
arrogance at the very time when the
Republican party was boasting of its
enforcement of the law. The steel
trust was formed Immediately after
the election Of 1900, and a prominent
Republican said in a speech soon after
that it might have prevented Repub.
lican victory if it had been formed be.
fore the election.
Few Trusts Disturbed.
Most of the trusts have never
been disturbed, and those that have
been prosecuted have not had their
business seriously interrupted. The
president has done something toward
the enforcement of the law, but not
nearly enough, and the Republican
leaders have thwarted him at every
point. Finally the president became
SO exasperated that he sent to con-
gress message which shocked Re-
publican leaders by the f1erceness of
it's denunciation Of the predatory in
terests. The very convention that
spoke in its platform of the admins
tration as a wise and fearless one
was composed largely of the sena-
tors and members of congress who
boldly opposed every effort to free the
people from the clutches of the favor
seeking corporations.
No Remedies Suggested.
"The Republican platform says that
experience has shown that the effec-
tiveness of the antitrust law could be
strengthened by amendments which
will give the federal government great
er supervision and control over, and
greater publicity as to, the manage
ment of those interstate commerce
corporations which have the power
and opportunity to effect monopolies.
That is, all. No pointing out Of rem.
edies; no outlining of a plan for more
effective, egislation-simply general
statement that promises nothing in
particular. And Mr.. Taft's speech of
acceptance is even weaker than the
platform. He gives no evidence of
having studied the question or of COM
pretending the iniquities of a monopo.
ly. You look in vain in his notifica-
ton speech for any sign Of indigna.
ton at what the trusts have been do.
ing or for evidence of zeal in their
prosecution. He has for several years
ha MT @Ra nj nj
of: the president, but he has caught
none of the fire which the president
manifested in his message of last Jan.
uary.
Not Foe Of Corporations.
LET the issue be made plain; let
the distinction be accurately drawn;
let the respective positions of the par
ties be fully understood. The Demo-
cratic party does not oppose all cor
porations; on the contrary, it recog-
nizes that the corporation can rem
der an important service to the public.
The Democratic party wants to en-
ploy every instrument that can be en-
pldyed for the advancement of the
common good, but the Democratic
party draws the line at the private
monopoly, and declares that a pri-
vate monopoly cannot be justified on
either economic or political grounds.
From an economic standpoint a mo.
nopoly is Objectionable. The moment
a corporation secures a practical mo-
nopoly in the production or sale of
any article certain evils appear
which outweigh any good that can
come from large production or control.
Wherever private monopolies exist
certain irresistible tendencies mani
fest themselves"
AMERICAN ENVOY BADLY HURT.