Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-14
ANrLrRrSr LEeMLArlON.

Several antitrust bills have already
been introduced in congress. In the
senate Mr.. Morgan Of Alabama offered
a Joint resolution declaring that any
contract, agreement or combination be
tween two or more corporations which
has for its purpose the control of the
price of anything which is the subject
OF or enters into interstate commerce,
or the cost of the transportation
thereof, so as to increase the same at
any place or locality in the United
States, or to discriminate in favor OF
or against any class of dealers or trad
crs in or consumers Of such articles
within the United states, is contrary
to the public policy of the United
States and every such contract, agree
ment or combination is illegal and is
prohibited. 1t is made a misdemeanor
to enter into such contract or to know
ingly assist in its execution. While
the language of the resolution is more
explicit than that of the act of 1880, 1T
is a question whether the latter does
not practically cover the same ground.
Senator Morgan, when he shall speak
in support of his resolution, may be
able to show that it is needed to sup
plement existing law.
In his annual message President Nc
Kinlcy said that there must be a rem
edy for the. evils involved in combna-
tions which suppress natural and ordi-
nary competition and unduly enhance
prices to the general consumer He
urged that if the present law can be
extended more certainly to control or
check the monopolies or trusts IL should
be done without delay. 'Whatever
power" said the president, ''the con-
portant subject should be promptly as
certained and asserted" Thus con
grcss was notified that whatever new
legislation it might adopt for dealing
with the trusts would receive the ap-
proval of the executive and the country
expects that the suggestions of the pres
ident on this subject will be heeded.
There are republicans in congress,
however, who regard the act of 1880
as sufficient Representative Grosvenor
of Ohio is reported in an eastern paper
as saying that he does not see the
necessity of any legislation additional
to the existing statutes on the trust
question, his opinion being that the re-
cent decision of the supreme court
shows that the Sherman antitrust law
T,,- cnIn
in restraining trusts, combines and
monopolies. In a speech in the house
Tuesday Mr.. Grosvenor indicated that
he believes the act of 1890 to be the
limit of the constitutional power of
congress on the subject Perhaps this
view is correct, but unless it shall be
demonstrated by further tests of exist
ing law that it is sufficient to restrain
the monopolistic combinations there
will arise a general demand for amend
ing the constitution so as to enlarge the
authority of congress in this direction.
The decision of the supreme court in
the Addystone pipe case certainly gave
the antitrust act of 1890 additional vi
tality and force. That law had been
found adequate to prevent traffic agree
ments between railroads engaged in in
terstate commerce, but as to industrial
combinations and trusts it was inef-
fective. How far-reaching the deci-
sion in the pipe case may be is yet to
be determined, for it is to be remem-
bered that the pipe combination was
peculiar. In order to determine the
scope of that decision the federal
authorities should promptly institute
proceedings against some one of the
representative trusts.
AT all events it is the duty of congress
to ascertain what power it has to deal
with the trusts and act accordingly.
The party in power cannot afford TO
evade or to trhe with this question
The republican party has in the past
given undOubted evidence of it's oppo-
sition to monopolistic combinations. 1t
must now show Enthusiastically that this
is still it's position.