Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 April 1899 — The Republican Party and Trusts. [ARTICLE]

The Republican Party and Trusts.

Cincinnati Enquirer; One of the rankest Republican newspapers in the state —one, by reason of its location, looked upon as a Hanna^organ—has openly advised the Republican party, to resolve against trusts. That would be good advice to a party out of power, but the one which has possession of the Government, and of such legal machinery as there is for the discouragement of the wicked aggregations of capital, should be urged to do much more than resolve. The people are already deeply sensible of the unperformed promises of the present Administration. It was to adjust the tariff in the interests of the people at large, and especially for the benefit of the toiling masses; bnt every step it has taken on that subject has been to make easy the march of trusts and combinations to affluence and tyranny. It was to provide ample revenue for carrying on the Government, but deficit steadily and certainly stares the Treasury in the face, though there has been a tremendous imposition of the sort of taxation that caused the Revolutionary War. It promised a milleninm in finances; bnt it has done nothing in the first half of the McKinley Administration, and is still appointing commissions and making other “bluffs” about what it is going to do in the seoond half. Such laws as there are against trusts, and such as can be enforced by the Federal establishment, have been almost ignored by the Department of Justice. The Republican party is a .party of centralization—of trusts in government. It grabs all the atate functions it can get hold of; enconrages the domination of the Federal Courts over cases that belong to the states, and endeavors to make all government have its center and authority at Washington. In everything save trusts It is willing to override the constitution ana hold the old-fashioned strict oonstructionists up to ridicule. If the policy of the Administration and the last Congress had been against trusts every case of aggregated capital would probablyhavebeenconstrued as involving interstate commerce. Let the Republican Administration use all the weapons it has against trusts.' So long as it does not resolutions on the subject will be hollow mockery. There has been enough striking of attitudes. Now is the time to get down to hard knocks.