The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-04-12

Annexation of Hawaii
WASHINGTON. April lo.-lSpecial. IL
rather unfortunate for the Mckinney
We" "a ~ restoring confidence and prosper.
~ hat within less than month after his
,nouguration the supreme court should
M dawn an unexpected decision which
s,rikes at the prosperity of the railroad In
,.,.trv The president had played his part
~ ri,bt He had set the ways and means
.mittee TO work throughout the winter.
,,arifT hill was ready for the new congress
,,ben il met In extraordinary session.
r,ot hill has been passed and sent to the
na.o within less than u month after Mr..
wnEi,lcy entered the White House. But
meanwhile the supreme court decision, de
.lsrirg that railroads are amenable to the
chairman antitrust law, came along, and
N tho GOOD effects of the policy of restor'
an, nrosperity appear to have been lost,
.ou,norarily at least, in single night. IL
a. thc irony of fate perhaps that the anti
Int law bears the name of the man who
u secretary Of state In Mr.. Mckinley's al
illustration. and that in its passage Mr..
Mckinley himself played an important
Dart ms leader of the house of representa- |
tiyes in the Fifty first congress.
Try Bare Majority.
The law itself was supposed TO be all
r;gbt The trouble Is that the supreme
court has nut construction upon 1t which |
had not been anticipated. On that most
imnortant decision the court divided five
IN four. as IL did on the income tax case.
II Is unite the fashion, or has been since
last wears campaign, to say that no one
shall criticise the supreme court. But IL
,s not TO be doubted that the frequency oil
decisions made by bare majority OF one
l. working to undermine public confidence
in the great tribunal In this trust law
decision the opinion of the minority, writ
ton Inv Justice White is pronounced 10y
most LAWYERS much ADLER and stronger
than the opinion of the majority, written
bv Justice Peckhan 1t Is peculiar that
tho ottorney general who argued the trust
law before the court, Mr.. Harmon, ala
NOT believe the law could be stretched to
take in the railroads. Nor did his prede
cessor in the attorney generals Office, MI
Olnqy. These were the opinions OF Olhey
and Harmon as lawyers. OF course as gov
eminent officials they put up the best cast
they could for the law and its application
TO railroad and all other corporations
1t is undoubtedly true that TINS decision
of the court is working TO retard the resto'
ration of prosperity which Is inc uisVlho'
five feature of the Mckinley admnistra-
ton Without entering into the right ano
wrong of the trust question, as involved III
This case. one cannot shut his eyes TO th'
facts Railroads are forbidden to MAKE
agreements as to rates This destroys con
fdencc in the stability of rates ana WAR;
between the great railroads are preuictcu
The hio roads are anxious 10 MAINTAIN
rates. but the little roads, struggling 10
business, may at any moment Dreak 'o'
with cuts and slashes. If they do, the vi
roads will be compelled to meet lneil
Once n rate war is started, no one can ioie
see the end. This decision therefore hahg
like a cloud over the business sltuatoh'
The supreme court will hear argument
on the Joint Traffic association case hea
October 1t is to the court oecis,on .
this case the railroads are looking ior -
lief They even hope the court VIII =
verse it's former decision, or at ieasV ~.
terially modify It. Nothing Is likely W =,
done by congress toward amending y,
trust law or permitting raliroau p oo
by act of congress till after inc sup M
court decides the Joint Traihc cas-;
means that the whole matter will nave
90 over 10 neAb Wlhtoi'
possibility of rate wars, the caution q.
timiditv in railroad circles, the fears Oh J.
vestors that dividends will disappear a
all ret.rding the restoration of prosperiO
A Difficult Problem.
The problem is to find means Vi -
venting railroads combining W p"o
rates too high, and at the s,'ile V, -. y
avert rate wars which are ruinous 10 y
,,,lnctras and cnplOy ~
agencies of the country. 10
According to the supreme court u.
e;op Labor nnicns cannot combine ior !
purpose of raising wages, reouclns :,
hours of labor, preventing uhJusV -
charges or limiting the numner vi opp,s
tees In fact. IL Is doubtful IL Hail.,
turers could sign wage scaie vi nc
agreement with their employees az Il, Ia
ganized body without violating VIZ .,
Justice White pointed all this ouC v
clearly in his dissenting opinion liz
edv this state of things Senator Ahon
Nebraska has introduced Dill " a.
the antitrust law so as to perhhio To- -,
PLANTATIONS to make Agreements -
common good The situation III s
not satisfactory one from any SUI" ''l,
Public opinion is doubtless sV,Ie
righteous against trusts anu co' '''anso,,
which put up tine prico VI $50 inyol
of life But so many interests are nc .,
in the application Of the law that ~, ~
plete oyerhauling of the system Is III
necessary.
The Hawaiian Question:
No doubt exists here that Presiueu -
Kinley will favor the annexa.'o action
wall when the time comes for ac', not
this question. The president. ,m ms' In,
yet openly declared his inte .,,',ister Hs
has come very near it. To Mihis'e uav y
and Attorney General smith o' 60 raj
who recently called upon him him p to s,i
the proposed annexation, =, ,ne tolked
without committing himself , Ia S,s q
very encouraging manner. ,a All n,s :
tions put to these gentlemen ,nu'' and
his sympathies were with .h. anid com,
when the decisive moment shou'T a I" y,
cooperation could be looked Ior ,n,
bers Of the cabinet with whom n. : n
talked coincide in this view OF the =