The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-04-02

Ration by the United states Supreme
Court OF the national antitrust law shall
stand, then partnerships OF every kind.
labor unions. and all associations. which.
by any stretch o: the Imagination, may
be ascerta.ned 10 be ''in restraint on
trade" are doomed. organization must be
abandoned and every man must look out
for himself The seeds OF Popu..sm have
at last borne fruit. The antitrust law.
which was the sop which demagogues
threw 20 stupid Popai.sis has taken n
turn that rs inventors never dreamed Of
Il was conceived in humbuggery, and
those who framed IT thought that there
vas TO harm in the sep. They now find
that Il was full OF poison. There was
death in the pot" and they dicnt know
z.
The State laws against trusts have
exempted labor unions. and the Texas
law exempted cattle dealers also from Its
provisions. But meme is exempt under
the rational law. Some people will. no
maiden CT cd, who betrayed her city
into the hands Of the enemy. and asked
as her reward chose things that the
soldiers wore en- their arms" meaning
their golden bracelets. Pretending TO mis-
understand, tho soldiers threw upon the
luckess maiden their heavy shields,
crushing out her trcacherous life.
Mr.. Chauncey NJ. Depew printed in one
Of the New York papers of yesterday
a communication IN which lac talks about
the antitrust decision as il affects traffic
associations.
Says he:
81 asked one Of the prosecuting officers
Of the Governments case to what extent
railroad men might lave any agreement
or understanding among themselves If
this decision was upheld.
We'll" he said, IF you should meet
Mr.. Thomson. of the Pennsylvania, and
should say to him. I think that $50 IS
enough for lirst-class fare to Chicago
and that 20 cents is .. fair rate on grain,
and he should say. We'll. that is my
judgment, and / am going to put IT that
way on my line that is conspiracy
under the antitrust law as decided BY
the Supreme Court"
Mr.. Dcpew then goes into detail 10
show how traffic association protects
the weak roads Of the country. and how
it protects the small dealer from the
large dealer who is enabled by bis big
shipments TO get a lower rate. He also
shows how a rate war cripples the rail-
roads. demoralzng their securities and
causing laborers to suffer.
But his most remarkable statement is
this:
Whenever we have presented n pool
bin at Washington-we presented one
three years ago-there is q cuious part
nership TO fight il. The partnership Is
between the manager of the trust and
the Populist.
The Populist comes TO me and says,
doesn't know anything about the trans
portation business. The manager Of the
trust fights IT because he knows all about
transportation.
The Populist comes 10 me any says
"Afr Depew. am going to fight you be-
cause you are trying TO form great
railway pool which is a great railroad
trust" and he honestly believes it.
The manager Of the great trust. how
ever. says TO me. "Depew, ] am going TO
beat your pool bill because if you get q
pool bin then you railroads will agree
with one another so that everybody who
starts I'm this business which / now con-
troll can get the same rates / do and
that will break us up after while.
That IS our strong point We can get
rates. because we ship heavily, that the
general public can't get"
Was there ever a better illustration TO
show what a mess Populists make OF It
when they set out TO fight trusts?
Surely they will see now that they
have been hoist by their own petard