Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-14

The silver trusts mouthpieces coule
promise to nut an end to trusts and
every cross road orator could tell just
how it should be done. Only those
| called upon to do it need feel en-
barassed. Never have the trusts
thriyed more luxuriantly than under
the present administration and under
the existing tariff but the administra-
ton, new that it has spoken upon the
matter. says it was embarrassed by an
| Inadequate law, though just how 1t
knows whether the law be inadequate
! must remain a mystery. The agita-
| ton kept alive by these means and by
| the acts of the trusts is still further
augmented by the Presidents declar-
alton that a law must be framed to
remedy, what in its broadcast sense is
now generally conceded to be an evil.
His attorney general who. it will be
remembered took occasion on getting
the appointment to chide the public
for it's manifestations of sympathy
with the Cuban rebellion, blithely
steps forward to supplement his chief s
demand for extra legislation, with
suggestions as to what that legislation
should be. So long as he is not to be
called upon to put in force those sug-
/ oh no odnnfp6 nv
Congress he probably surveys them
with more respect and confidence than
those who will be called upon to make
them perfect in application are likely
to. Be that as it may here are his
suggestions:
Congress should make it unlawful to
ship from one state to another. in car
rying out or attempting to carry out
the designs of such organizations. ar
ticles produced. owned or controlled
by them or any of their members or
agents. The present law should con-
tain a provision like that of the inter-
state commerce law, to prevent the re-
fusal of witnesses to answer on the
ground of Standardization. The
difficulty CT obtaining proof on ac-
count of this cause might also be re-
moved by enacting as rule OF evil
dence that the purchase or combina-
ton in any form of enterprises in diff
ferent states which We're competitive
before such purchase or combination,
should be prima facie evidence Of an
attempt to monopolZe. This would
put the parties to the necessity of eN-
PLANTATION, which would supply the
information desired. similar pro-
vision should be made with respect to
well-known methods of doing business
throughout the country. which are de-
signed to deprive dealers of liberty of
trade and compel them to become in
struments of commercial conspirators.
Surprising Mr.. Harmon has discov-
cred an adequate law to deal with
trusts. the question remains what con-
stitutc trusts. He should surely leave
q definition along with his other sug-
torney general. Would Mr.. Harmon
define labor organizations. which pre-
vent ruinous competition. as trusts?
True, natural causes. especially the
oversupply of labor, prevent a labor
trust from being as formidable as
many of the combinations, unless it re-
sorts to violence when it becomes
amenable to laws already in existence.
But would Mr.. Harmon exempt any
combination, the purpose of which is
to prevent competition. though in doing
SO it rendered cheaper and more sys-
tematic service to the public than other
wise? These are pertinent questions to
ASH of the man who essays to prescribe
for the trust evil especially when he
is to turn the case over to another be-
fore the medicine can be administered.