The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-09

THE TRUSTS MUST BE
' SCOTCHED."

The White Mems Club, of Forsyth
county, has adopted resolutions urg-
ing representatives to vote for
strong antitrust law. The trusts
must be scotched.--kinston Free
Press.
This editorial note from one of the
leading Democratic papers in Eastern
North Carolina voices the sentiment OF
that element in the party that accepts
the Chicago platform as the true EXPOSE
ton of Democratic doctrine.
The following editorial from the Char
lotte Observer voices the sentiment OF
that element of the Democratic party
that did not approve the Chicago plat
form:
1.-THE antitrust bill of Mr.. Stevens,
of Union, will come this afternoon
before the House committee, to
which it was referred. We hope 1t
win secure a favorable report and
pass both houses. 1t has been sug-
gested that it is immoral in that 1t
provides that no trust can collect
bill by law. This is the bills best
feature. Desperate diseases call for
desperate remedies. Trusts are.
morally speaking, outside the pale of
civilization No measure which will
in any degree check their aggression
is too strong. Mr.. Stevens bin ought
to be made law
The Democratic party, State and Ma
tional is the antitrust party. There
is at present an antitrust law on the
statute books. enacted at the session of
1887. Under it one action was brought
against the cigarette trust The trust
won. Since then lawyers have said that
it was not stringent enough, and no
convictions have been made under it,
This fact led Mr.. Stevens, of Union
county, to introduce drastic antitrust
law. AS originally introduced, that
bill has already been published in these
columns. 1t was an exact copy of the
law on the statute books of the State
of Missouri. Mr.. Stevens now proposes
to change his bill by Incorporating the
following new sections:
Section Z. This act shall not apply to
agricultural products while in the hands
of the producer, nor to the lumber in
terest of the State, neither shall it pre-
vent cotton mills from regulating the
amount of their output.
"Section 8. In any indictment or in
formation for any offense named in this
act it shall be sufficient to state the
purposes and effects of the trust or
combination, and that the accused was
a member of, acted with oc in pur-
suance Of it, without giving its name or
description, or how or where il was
created.
Section 8. In proceedings under this
act it shall be sufficient to prove that
n trust or combination as herein de-
fined exists, and that the defendant be-
longed to it, or acted for or in con-
nection with it, without proving all
members belonging to it, or producing
or proving any articles of agreement or
any written instrument on which it
may have been based, or that it was ey-
idenced by any written instrument at
all: and preponderance of evidence
shall be sufficient to authorize IA ver-
dict and judgment for the State"
There ought not to be any hesitation
about passing the most stringent anti
trust law that can be drawn. 1t ought
not to injurc capital invested i'll legit-
innate business, but trusts ought to be
outlawed.
No legislation against trusts or theil
product can be too severe. They have
robbed farmers; destroyed manufactur
ers; ruined great establishments; driver
small concerns to the wall; bought legis
lators in State and Nation; furnished q
great corruption fund to buy the Presi
dency of 1896; blocked the way to sue
cess in independent business: and forccC
reputable business men to make degrad
ing contracts with them. There is nc
crime in the catalogue of crimes tha
they have not been ready to commit il
order TO strengthen their hold on tbs
country, and enable them to pile million
ON millions through the illegal methods
they employ Every dollar they make
over and above what they would maxi
as separate concerns, is dishonest money
They are law breakers who escape tn
penalty Of their crimes by corrup
methods.
Whenever the people protest agains
the growing lawlessness of trusts, the,
cry out: you ought not to interior
with capital. You will drive men wit