Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-26


| Oil company, perhaps, aud the whisky trust,
perhaps, and every trust of any kind in thu
United States If congress had federal way
of interfering with those organizations it
might be useful to exercise it.
Scott inquired what power congress would
have to redress evils which the committee
might find toexist in combinations between a
state corporation aud citizens of another state
what had congress to do with this question
at alli We're not the states amply able to
protect themselves and their citizens against
all combinations and conspiraciesi There
was no authority delegated to congress to
interfere
Mason Of Illinois, the author of the rsso-
luton, stated that it was not his object to
authorize a smelling committee to invade
states and investigate the business of persons
doing business under state law. The object
of his resolution was the ascertainment of
the effect which combinations had on the
price Of necessaries, and further to ascertain
whether or not, by reason of the tariff, those
combinations were able to raise the price of
necessaries
Nelson OF Minnesota inquired whether the
gentleman had any doubt that the tariff law
indirectly co-operated to aid the trusts
Mason replied that he had no doubt that
there was a class of men who took adj
vantage of the tariff laws, and therefore
those who believed in a high protective tariff
thought that there ought to be some way to
prevent these laws being perverted. If there
was no way to protect the people against
these trusts except by revision OF the tariff
he was ready to vote on that question now.
Brumm of Pennsylvania suggested that the
greatest monopoles of the country were those
which were not affected by the tariff. They
were the STANDARD Oil company, the Western
Union Telegraph, and the Anthracite coal
combination.
Rayner Of Maryland criticised the resolu-
ton as not being broad enough. 1t would
not include the Western Union Telegraph
company, which had swallowed up every
other telegraph company for the purpose OF
controlling the business. 1t would not affect
the Standard Oil company. That was not "a
combination of individuals 1t was a COM
bination of different corporations each one
of which was created by the sovereignty of
particular state. The resolution would not
apply to that The Reading coal strike was
a great question which was agitatng the
public mind The Reading company was in
corporated by Pennsylvania, but it shipped
its commerce all over the country. That
company, which had entered into conspir-
acy to str Ike down labor in the Lehigh and
Schuylkill regions, in order to increase the
price of coal would not be affected by the
investigation. In order to extend the scope
of the inquiry he moved to strike out the
clause which confines the inquiry to trusts
not Incorporated under the laws of any state.
The motion was agreed to-
Grosvenor of Ohio moved to recommit the
resolution with instructions to the committee
to report it back with provision that if the
investigating committee report legi4lation
lnn tn tha Inf nf ba I,,, ,P
corporations controlled by state laws, it also
shall report proper eulogy and epitaph
commemorative Of the life, public services |
and death of the ancient doctrine of states
rights, with the time and circumstances of |
the abandonment of said doctrine by the |
Democratic party. Ruled out as not ger
name.
On motion of Ran dali several amendments |
tending to broaden the scope of the inquiry |
were agreed to. The resolution, with acdsfH-
panying preamble, was then adopted as fol- |
lows:
Whereas, 1t Is alleged that certain indiyid-
uals and corporations in the United States en-
gagged in manufacturing, producing, mining, or
dealing in some of the necessaries OF life, and |
other productions have combined for the purpose
of controlling or curtailing the production or
supply of the same, and thereby increasing their
price to the people of the country, which COM
and like names; and,
Whereas, Such combinations not only injuri-
ously affect commerce between the states, but
impair the revenues OF the United States as de-
rived from the duties on IMPORTS therefore,
Resolved, That the committee on manufactures
be- and the is hereby, directed to inquire
into the names and number and extent of such
allie ged combinations, under whatever name
known, their methods of combination doing
their effect upon the prices of any nee
essares of Life and of all productions to the peo-
pie of the country, upon its internal or foreign
and its revenues from import Duties
together with any and all other matters relating
to the same which may call for or suggest legis-
ation by congress, and report the same to the
house with such recommendations the said
may agree upon. And for these pur-
poses the committee on manufactures is author
lied to sit during the sessions Of the house. to en-
ploy a stenographer, to administer oaths exam.
Inc witnesses, and compel the attendance of per-
CONS and Tim nrnlnctinn of nnnerS.