The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-09-06

reasons when there is mo power to
oppose?
what need we fear who knows it,
When none can call our power to ac-
count?"
THE THRUST"
The tru by which name / of
course mean trusts for the control
of corporations which have been
formed within the past few years by
the process of the stockholders of
various corporations assigning all
their shares to a committee to be
held in trust and voted by them at
their several corporate elections
has been defeated to such an extent
in several of the state courts of last
resort, that it is now passing out of
existence and re-appearing in the
form of the tramp corporation"
The New York Sugar, Trust, having
been dissolved by a decision of the
Court of Appeals of New York, has
re-appeared as a corporation under
the laws of New Jersey. Another
very extensive trust appears as a
corporation under the laws of West
Virginia, although it's principal
place of business is Pittsburgh in
the state of Pennsylvania. AS I
have already suggested, the aim Of
these organizations is to engross all
the commodities of particular
manufacture and to dictate the
prices of that commodity to con-
sumers, at their own mere will and
pleasure. The extent of the power
of the states over this new enemy
depends upon what the supreme
court of the United States shall al
low the states to do through their
state legislation. That legislation
must be submitted to the revision
of the experimenting bench of ap-
pointiye lawyers at Washington; and
there is no other rule Of revision
which can be stated by lawyer, or
to lawyers, except that judicial pro-
cess of inclusion and exclusion which
amounts to mere discretion. The
oretically, all the police poaoer IN the
american Union Is possessed by the
states; the general government pos
sesses none of it. Practically, this
police power cannot be exercised in
any case wherein the supreme court
of the United States shall be of opin-
ion that it's exercise brings it in con-
flict with the commerce clause of
the Federal constitution, or with
the fourteenth amendment to that
constitution. The police power is
admitted to be the vaguest and least
definite of all governmental powers;
and on the other hand the words
"due process of law are capable of
almost any judicial expansion. In
view of these facts, is it not time to
pause and inquire whether we have
not reached the danger line, and
aohether n, tact zoe are really selt-gov-
e,ming people, The scattered and seq
regated states can oppose but a
feeble resistance to a judicial body
which is forever at work, which is
responsible in no sense to the people,
and which is the conclusive judge of
it's own powers.
THE REMEDY.
They must cease their attempts at
regulating corporations by their own
state legislation, and must renew
those attempts in the halls of ma
tional legislation. The first step
will be to get rid of a Senate which
is at present but little better than a
collection of the lawyers and agents
of corporations. They should be I'M
seated and expelled as the money
changers were driven out Of the
temple. A Senate elected by the
people must be substituted in their
stead, and this is sure to happen in
the near future. But two or three
more decisive steps in judicial usur-
patton will lead to the election Of
the Federal judiciary. 1t will re-
Quire but few more Original Pack
age decisions and Minnesota Milk
decisions to bring about that result.
H0NTINIIEn NEXT WEEK