The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-02-01

4ersfate or other, and fhnx therefore
Z eonblnasiun Tor the unanufacture Of
ref1ned sugar Is not In restraint Of
tsxerSszze coznmerce and therefore not
unanwfui. The court holds tha& relief
snust oe e0us1sk not from the Uenesd
government. but from the ststes IN
which e1se monopoly exists. In view Of
ais decision the dificuty Of breaking
mp the combination becomes apparent.
or cGzrse s. - not in1possihde tlax by
Legislation and decisions Ia the state
legfsatures and state courts the noon-
opoIy could be broken Mp. The su-
prsme court does not declare the trust
legal nr shut the dior Of relief. It
merely reseEaees the matter 20 the m
d1yiduaI states. declaring thai the Fed
eral government. as such, has no Juf1s-
diction over the sugar trust, 80 far a.
Interfering with fits manufacturing OPP
ef2tions is concerned This IL ssn6Otun-
ate. but undoubtedly is the correct con-
ciustm- Al all events. Il u the law.
The dissenting opinion OF Judge Har-
Ian - vigorous and depicts In strong
language the dire effects that may ie-
Ultimately follow under the decision.
I'VE have before U.S. said he. the
case uf a cunbina4inn which absolute
~ controls the price Of all refined su-
gar In this country. Suppose another
combination. organized for private gain
and to control prices. should obtain
possession Of all the large -four mills
in the United States: another. OF all
the oil territory: another, Of AL the
salt producing regions, and another
Of all the great establishments for
Strengthening animals, and the prepare
ton OF meats. What power Is competent
TO protect the people OF the United
States against such dangers except ma
tional power---one that IS capable OF
exertsng Its sovereign authority
throughout every part of the Territory
and over all the people Of the nation ?"
by Judge Harlan are already in ex-
istence and successful operation. The
great Standard oil trust has for many
years fixed the price OF oil. The meat
trust not only controls the product
and dictates the price of dressed beef
In Eastern markets. but the price of
live CATTLE throughout the country.
The salt trust is gigantic monopoly,
and the -four trust - comparatively
successful IN controlling products and
prices. All these are noonopoiies of
necessaries OF life and ct common law
illegal.
But the greatest inchoate trust. to be
made possible by the passage Of che
poo;ing t1ll now before the senate of
the United States. is that of railway
transportation. Last Monday IN that
body. Senator Chandler. of New Hanp-
shire. graphically depicted the possi-
bilities Of railroad combinations under
this bill. Under such authority" said
he. ''all the railroads OF the country
may pool al their gross and net earn
fngs from al sources. They may viz
tuahy unite and form one corartner-
ship" with a capitalization Of nearly
si2. .ooo. 900. They may agree to COM
NIT the gross or net income thereof .to
a managing board OF ten or even of
three officers of the various roads"
This board" continued the eenator.
"can be given authority and direction
to pay out for the purpose OF control
ling legislatures. state or national. or
Other public officers. or for any such
purposes. such portions as they may see
ut from the gross or net earnings of
this gigantic partnership, and after
wards - divide the remainder OF the
net earnings among the various COM
panies according to arbitrary fixed nor
lions OF loo per cent. OF the whole. The
profits Of rafi-ossd ananagefnene depend
largely upon the rate of wages paid.
The companies may emDody in their
partnership agreement n scheda,Ie fo,.
all classes OF raiirsad operatives to be
sriainsatned upon all railroads In the
country. In short. this sis,ooo. 900. 900
partnership Is given unlimited power
OF railway consolidation: all railroad
competition anywhere in the country
IS abolished by act OF congress. rates of
fare and freights for the whole coun-
try may be fixed by one managing
body"
Is II not time to stop and think?
The establishment OF such a trust in
the United States would be equivalent
70 surrender OF the government into
It's cUitrsoi. the erection of an irnpe-
rum In ifaper'io. the former being the
superior h~dy. Is ii Improbable In
view OF the tendency OF later iegisla.
tioa?