The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-03-26
LegisIatIng Against the Trust.

Senator Sherman has been making brave
effort to construct a law which shall extin-
guish the trust. He has succeeded in con-
structing measure which appears to him
adapted to the purpose. but to large num-
Der of his colleagues it appears decidedly
otherwise. Some of them hold it to be un-
constitutional; others allege against it that
it will destroy not only the trust, or combina-
ton. which the people want destroyed, but
many others which the people do not want
destroyed; while still others contend that
it will be Ineffective against any combina-
ton, good or bad. But while his colleagues
find no difficulty in tearing Mr.. Sherman's
measure to pieces, none Of them profess to
be able to construct anything better
The seat of the difficulty lies in the fact
that the trust when it comes to be exam
ined, proves to be nothing but combination
of dealers in certain products or articles of
manufacture, with no features. except its
i',nAss, which distinguishes it from the
with appr0ssane combinations which the
the Idea into peoples" difference, and even
some way different from alliance has put
, .aimerS' or associations among merchants !"
n' among laboring men. Bnt n !,
90 ~ eAcept' as was said above, in the no;n,
sness. An association of merchonts
oe,u. ns III certain article in a certain cltv -
SeeAing on small scale precisely what ,h -
sugar trust or the oil trust is seekinc sAo
- 0e"ie' Its purpose is of the son,a
' namely 10 prevent to certain evtort
po'Iion' The differences is in ~
,-s.s n' tradesunion seeks to pathau
80. H.n i.s ranks all the workingmen of J Gov
IAN trade IN certain locality in ordor 49,.
Wy monopolzlng all that kind oil Iahor ~
may De able to shut off Competition OIL ~. ~
get higher prices. A farmers aIIionno nus nus
torS,. IN toeesher the farmers of certain
so,, ~. ~ an agreement that they will not
sen 'neir products except at a certain nrico
~ 'nas 'ne consumer, being deprived of an
opportunity 10 purchase what he made ~
agricultural products elsewnere may be CON- 1
PEELED to buy Of some member of the alli-
ance and thus have to pay the price agreed
upon by them. Now the difference between
Ihese combinations and what we call the |
trust is not difference of purpose. but a |
difference of ability. These combinations
operate In smpn areas, they control only a
limited quantity Of the article in which thew
deal, and therefore they are not able to ex-
act any extreme price. About all thew can
TO do is to compel fair remuneration
and this being so, the public, which
is generally ready to pay a fair price.
regards them as not only not inimical
to the general welfare. but as promotiye
Of it. But with the trust it is different.
That operates overvast areas. With its vast
capital 1t is able to control the products or
manufactures in certain lines Of the whole
country, and hence if SO disposed it can ex-
act unreasonable prices from the consumers
Nhen the combination, ordinarily harmless
md even helpful, assumes great proportions
'nd sucn vast wealth that it is able to con-
FOL the supply of necessary of life over
large extent of country it becomes a public |
menace 1t may not be guilty of extortion. !
may sell its product at reasonable nrice
)ut while the power exists TO exact nnroo,
'OnaOle pronts the temptation will exist also.
'nu' unless human nature experiences "a
a ical cnahge' IL Is safe to predict that Il
MS temptation will sometimes be Yielded 70 C
Another bad feature Of these huge combins NJ
IONS is their tendency to abridge opportnni U
les OF the individual with only lmirod B
mount Of capital. a,
IL becomes serious question TO consider la
men whether 1t is not for the general veI M
are that the power to create these vast con, ST
ihations DC abridged, and undoubtedly npb th
= opinion az Inc present time is in favor 30 =.
ONE legislation looking to that end RI
men an attempt is made to formulate snoh
gislation then serious difficulties sriso
ongress is not clothed with desnotio Toyu