The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-08-21

similar combination OF cOal COMPANIES H'''
been held to be illegal and void, and the
New York courts rendered decision on the
same line. In Louisiana court refused to
uphold the agreement of several firms own
ing large quantity of Indian bagging not
to SELL except upon the consent OF major
ty Of the parties to the agreement. Inc
court said in this case: 1.-The agreement be-
tween the parties was palpably and une-
quivocaly a combination in restraint OF
trade, and to enhance the price in the
market of an article of primary necessity to
cotton planters. Such combinations are
contrary to public order, and cannot be en-
forced in court of justice" As far back
as the early part of the last century an Eng
fish court said: "To obtain the sole exer-
else of any known trade throughout Eng
land is a complete monopoly, and against
the policy of the law"
1t will take time for our courts and our
legislation to apply the principle laid down
in those cases to the great swarm OF trusts
now multiplying in this country, but 1t Will
finally be done. Our people will not submit
/ to any monopoly which raises the price OF
| commodity, Injuries its quality and tends to
| the impoverishment of the working classes.
| The great evil of trust is felt mainly by
the poor. 1t swallows up the earnings OF
the day laborer, and prevents him from saw
| ing anything for sickness and old age.
Naturally, the masses will array them
selves against the classes who have organ
| lied themselve into trusts. Just such
struggles occurred in England when monop-
olies under Elizabeth and Charles the First
oppressed the people, and in those struggles
the monopolies had to go down.
Our people are not likely to deal gently
with menopolies in the shape of trusts.
| These denominations are today what Sir
| John Culpepper said of them in the long
parliament-"A nest of wasps-a swarm
| of vermin which have overcropt the
| land. Like the frogs of Egypt they have
| gotten possession of our dwellings, and we
| have scarce room free from them. They
sup in our cup; they dip in our dish; they
sit by our fire. We find them in the dye
fat, wash-bowl and powdering tub. They
share with the butter in his box. They will
not bate us a pin. We may not buy our
clothes without their brokage. These are
the leeches that have sucked the common
wealth so hard that it is almost hectical."
| The evil denounced in these strong words
had much to do with causing Charles the
| First to lose his head. The temper of the
people has not undergone any change.
! There is discomfort everywhere, and our
! toiling millions of consumers are determin-
ed that few rich men shall not combine
together in secrecy to lower their wages,
limit production and raise the price of the
necessaries of life.
OF course the trusts will fight They will
use every effort to influence the press and
the men who make our laws, but in the end
they will fail and go down just as they did
in England. Capital is powerful, and its
combinations are influential, but they are
weak and helpless when the people get in
an angry mood and determine to sweep
| them away.
The present congress may do nothing,
and succeeding sessions may fail for a time
todeal satisfactorily with this great question,
but its settlement cannot long be delayed.
The American people will not be robbed by
any set of men, whether they are bold
enough to call themselves bandits, or cum
ming enough to call themselves trusts!
|
The Weekly Splotch, literary paper pub
lished in New York, sends us paragraph
copied from these columns. 1t is pasted on
sheet Of white paper, and underneath it
are these inspiring remarks: "The above
appeared in the Splotch of this week" We
hope to move on to greater victories.
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