The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1895-02-02
The People and The Trusts.

The people OF the | nIted States have
no rights which the Sugar Trust, or any
other gigantic and constituencies mon
OpOly, Is bound to respect. This is the
sum and substance of the final decision
of the Court of last resort in the case
decided yesterday. 1t is a strange rep
etitiOn of history, with a sweeping
variation. Forty years ago the Su-
preme Court declared that under the
law. statutory or organic, the black man
had no right which the white man was
. bound to respect. Under this last de-
cision the whole people are affected and
become for time helplessly subject to
the rapacity Of a combination which has
4 plundered them to the extent of many
millions of dollars during the past few
years, and which may now continue the
operation with impunity. There has
seldom, if ever, in the history Of the
Supreme Court, been a more vigorous
and pointed dissenting opinion than
that filed by Justice Harlan, VINO I'M
happily stands alone in defence of the
higher law Of public rights against indie
yidual avarice, and who courageously
maintains the belief that the powers of
congress are ample under the Constitu-
ton as it is to deal with this great ques-
ton. and that j. was entirely within the
province OF the Court legally to so de-
clare. But as this is Il government Of
1 law and order there can be no appeal
from the decision rendered, except to
the people themselves. They are SUI
preme, and it is within their power TO
enforce a recognition Of their rights, to
secure justice and to protect themselves
and future generations from the wrong
under which the whole nation now
suffers.
1t is not worth while to follow the
! particular reasons Of the Court in this
case. 1t is simply an elaboration of the
remarkable doctrines laid down III
lower tribunals, though attention may
be called to the suggestive fact that the
/ present administration OF the Law De
partment Of the National Government
has confidently looked forward to the
conclusion which has been reached, so
unexpectedly by the general public and
so unsatisfactory to every right thinker
and patriotic citizen. In his report of
1898 the Attorney General took occasion
to refer most significantly to the alleged
Antitrust law, known as the Sherman
Act of 1890 the stated object of which is
to protect trade and commerce against
unlawful restraits and mOnopOlics."
Mr.. Olne,y with airy confidence, de-
clared that there was no foundation for
the popular idea that this statute would
accomplish the supposed purposes of
its enactment, and in fact said it was
not worth while to ascertain what was
in the mind of the trainers of the law,
there was, according to his view, no
basis for the public belief in its intcgri-
ty and effectiveness. He claimed, as
the Supreme Court has decided, that
the Act of Congress would be wholly in
| operative in connection with contracts
, execute and carried on within the
! States and subject to their jurisdiction.
| He then called attention to the fact that
/ judicial decision plainly indicated what
j would be the final outcome, that Unit
! ed States Circuit Judge, afterwards pro-
NOTED to the Supreme Court, and laid
! down basis for final decision, and that
! it WAS the duty Of the representatives
/ of the Government to expedite the cas-
es on hand, in order that the whole
. p,i,-l,t no ,li-nnGal Of Tho r
torncy Generals report, in the light of
of the decision rendered, reads like
F direful prophecy.
/ Justice Harlan undoubtedly embodies
the view OF the American people as to
/ what might be done under existing
circumstances; but, as before noted, he
can only protest. lie must bow to the
/ mandate ofthe majority. The Sherman
Act so far as it relates to mOnopolies,
/ is now virtually deal letter, and there
is no other statute which may be utl-
lzed to protect the people from the
growing evil inseprahle from these great
combinations, having for their object
+ the control of important branches of
manufactures and commerce. 1t would
.,or,,.,,, I,o worth ,.J,;Io tor Con,,ra.,, >,
try to frame new law which would
,v;,hs,o,,I,la oliectionS onl or,+;o,,n,s
or+no G,,,,.,,,,o 1,.,,.t ,.,,,..,,,,;,,,, .I,;.
innnrtant ,n.ttar
This throws the question back to the
source OF all power, the people them
selves. They will have to begin over
ar,ip and build up from the foundation.
The oroanic law its,If will have f. he
rhanoad and IN the only wav nrov;daa
tbrnngb constitutional oT,andn,ant
which will NOT only ,nora ,.Ia,,rv dnfine
the powers of the national Iegjs'ativ
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