The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-03-22

shsn.
EnIrog Caucasian The Iegis-
lature of lss3, chapter 324. passed
the following act; An act to pro-
hlbit trusts IN the State Of North
Carolina and TO provide for the pun.
ishment Of persons connected there
with"
THE LAW.
Section lst, That combinations
and trusts rs defined by this act are
unlawful, dangerous to the liberty Of
the people, and hereby are forbidden
to be formed or carried on in this
State.
Section 2ud, That trust i. an ar
rangement, understanding or agree
ment either private or public, enter
cd into by two or more persons or
corporations for the purpose of iu-
creaslng or reducing the price of the
shares of the stock o: any company
or corporation, or of any class OF
products, materials or manufactured
articles, beyond the price that would
be- fixed by natural demand for or
supply of such shares, products, ma
terials or manufactured articles;
and any attempt TO carry out such
purpose shall be evidence that such
arrangement, understanding or agre,-
ment exists.
Section 3rd, That any persons,
company or corporation who shall
form, or attempt TO form, trust in
this State, or agent or representative
of any trnst in any State or county,
who shall attempt 10 carry on opera
tons in this State, shall be guilty of
misdemeanor, and upon conviction
may be lined not more than ten
thousand dollars or may be impris-
oned not more than ten years for
each offensc.
Section 1, That any person, COM
pany or corporation who enter into
an arrangement, understanding or
agreement, not TO mine, manufac-
ture, buy or sell, or transport more
than "a certain specified amount of
any goods, products or commodities
within specified time, will have
violated this section three of this
act and will be liable To indict-
ment therefor; and any person or
company or corporation who give
bond or make forfeit of any kind
not to break such arrangement, I'M
derstanding or agreement shall be
guilty of misdemeanor, and on con-
yiction thereof shall be iined VI I'M
prisoned or both, in The discretion of
the court.
Section 5, That any merchant,
broker, or manufactures or dealer in
raw materials of any kind, or agent
of such person, who shall sell any
particular class of goods. raw mater
ials or manufactured articles for less
than actual cost for the purpose of
breaking down competitors, shall bs
guilty of mIsdemeanor, and upon
conviction may be fined or imprison-
ed, or both, in the discretion of the
court: Provided that nothing con-
tanned in this act shall operate OF be
construed SO as to forbid or prevent
any person or persons who desire and
intend % purchase any article or
commodity for his or their own use
or consumption from combining or
otherwise lawfully acting SO as to
protect or help themselves from i'm
position in the cost or purchase price
of such articles or commodities AS
they or either of them design anG in
tend to use or consume.
Section 6. That this act shall be
in force from and after the first day
of May of the year one thousand
eight hundred and eighty-nine."
Ratified the lIth day of March,
A. d., 1889.
1t is manifest that the Legislature
intended to break up trust formed
in any other State TO be carried on
in this State. Section 4th forbids
any person or corporation combining
to reduce the price of material or
manufactured article, this obviously
applies only to persons residing
wholly in this State and doing busi-
ness entirely within the territorial
jurisdiction of this State. The Leg
isIature of this State has no power
to 20 further than this: the right to
regulate commerce between the
Indian tribes, and foreign commerce
md commerce between the States
has been delegated to the United
States. Sec Constitution of the Uni
ted States, Article |, Section ), subs.
Section 3. This section (3) yill not
be of much benefit to the people
unless they can get control of the
National and State government and
secure some friendly hand to execute
it.
Section 5 forbids a combination
to break down other competitors
this section applies only to persons
residing wholly within the territorial
jurisdiction of this State, and in
order to enforce it and give the coun-
try full relief, the Reform party must
have control Of the General and
State government, for the same reas-
on as given in commenting upon
Section 4 above mentioned. So far
as my knowledge and information
extends there has never been an in
dictment or any attempt to enforce
the act. 1t is idle to talk about en-
forcing an act, | care not how bene-
fetal it may be, when every officer of
the government, both State and Ma
tional, is opposed to it To give the
people full relief the Reformers must
have complete control of the Nation
al and State governments
STEPHEN W. IsLER.