The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-10-26
The Printing Combine Guilty.

The Printing Combine Guilty.
Clarion-Ledger.
In May last, at the meeting of the
Mississippi Press Association, infor.
nation was furnished that Marshall
& Bruce, of Nashville; Geo. ID. Bar
nard & Co., and r. and II. A. Ennis
OF st. Louis, had been indicted by the
United States grand jury at A Der
deem, for entering into a conspiracy,
trust or combine, to control the blank
book, stationery and printing forsthe
different counties in Mississippi that
the three concerns had met at Mem.
phis and divided the counties of the
State up into three parts, each firm
to have the work Of one-lhird of the
counties.
The Clarion-Ledger investigated the
matter and learned that the indict-
ments had been found, and so stated
but notwithstanding this statement,
based on direct information, repre-
sentatlves of the above named firms.
at different times and places, denied
that they had been indicted, or that
they were in a trust to control the
stationery and blank book work of
the State. They continued to present
bids to do this class of work when
they could not induce the county Off
GERS to ignore the law by neglccting
to let out work to the lowest bidders,
a scheme they have worked in about
One-lla!f Of the counties of the State {:
frequently being awarded contracts
over State bidders when the bids of
the home offices we're the lowest, so
thoroughly had they ingratiated
themselves into the good graces, love
and affection of a majority of the
county officers of the State.
But Marshall & Bruce, Geo. d. Bar
nard & Co., and r. and r. A. Ennis
have at last been forced, by the strong
arm of the law, to toe the mark :"
and at the present term of the United
States Court. seeing that conviction
was certain, and in order to tighten
the sentence Of the court, they plead
guilty to the charge of entering into
a conspiracy and combine to control
the sales of blank books and station
cry made for the State and counties
of Mississippi. T%hereupon they we're
fined 800 and costs and permitted to
depart.
The attention of the press, and the
public, and especially county officials
who have so often shown their par
TALLY for the firms composing the
"printlng combine" is called to the
fact that the three concerns above
named stand before the world self
confessed conspirators, who had en-
tered into a trust to control the sta
%tionery and blank book work of 1.-The
counties of this State.
Prosecution in every county in the
State should follow, and all contracts
made with these firms should be
promptly annulled, for section 443S of
the |annonate1 code declares that con-
tracts made with trusts or combines
are void, and section 4430 says that
any foreign corporation lone located
beyond the limits of the State) which
shall enter into any trust or combine,
shall forfeit its right to do business
in this State" Section All says that
ANY persons engaged in forming Il
trust to control business shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor," and that
"all sums of money TO be paid on any
contract, on behalf Of the State,
county or municipality, when the pro-
visions of the section are violated,
shall not be correctible."
Marshall & Bruce, Barnard & Co.,
and Ennis g. Co., stand before the
public convicted of violating the Fed
eral and State laws, and grand juries
OF every county In Mississippi should
indict them, and the several district
attorneys should convict them and
drive them from the State.
Let the press open up its batteries
on these concerns which have so
flagrantly violated the law of the
land.