The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-09-12
ABOUT THE TRUSTS!
CONTINUED from First Page

Continued from First Page
Legitimate strife in business should not
be superseded by an enforced concession
to the demands Of combinations that have
the power to destroy, nor should the peo-
pie to be served lose the benefit Of cheap
ness which usually results from whole
some competition. These aggregations
and combinations frequently constitute
conspiracies against the interests of the
people, and in all their phases they are
unnatural and opposed to our American
sense of fairness. To the extent that
they can be reached and restrained by
federal power, the general government
| should relieve our citizens from their in
reference and exactions" This utter.
ance of the president was approved by
the people, irrespective of politics, and
it was accepted as an assurance that the
administration would lose no time in
taking steps to determine how far the
general government could, under exist
ing law, relieve the people from the in
reference and exactions of monopoly.
1t was reported several months ago
that an effort was to be made to carry
u the demand of the platform and the
promise of the president. The statement
was made that the department Of justice
was preparing to test the anti trust law
by instituting proceedings against several
of the combinations. The public was
given to understand that it was the set
tied purpose of the authorities at Wash
ingtOn to do this with as little delay as
possible after the reorganization of the
department. The impression conveyed
was that the president and the attorney
general, and indeed all the members of
the administration, were anxious to en-
force the law against trusts and combi-
nations just as soon as it was practicable
single step has been taken, so far as the
public knows, to interfere with the Oper-
atoms of existing trusts or to put any
check upon the growth of this class Of
monopoly. The combinations flourish
to day with as much freedom as at any
time, and if the trust monopoly is not
growing now as rapidly as formerly it is
because the field is almost fully occupied
or the conditions favoring such combi-
nations are less favorable than formerly.
So far as known the adequacy Of the
antitrust law is not questioned. The
federal courts have affirmed it's consti-
tutionality and the ablest legal minds in
the country have expressed the opinion
that it is sufficient to suppress every
trust and combination in restraint of
trade or for controlling production and
prices that exists. 1t is mandatory in re-
quiring United States district attorneys
to proceed against the monopolistic or
CARNATIONS which it inhibits. The peo-
pie want the law enforced. 1t has been
practically a dead letter since it was en-
acted, and in the meantime numerous
combinations which it was intended to
prevent have been formed and are now
doing business in violation of the law.
The longer these are permitted to con,
tinue the more difficult it will to suppress
them. There will never be a more auspi-
cious time than the present to test the
antitrust law, and the administration
can increase its claim to public conf
dence by an early effort to make effective
this legislation.