The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-31
Trusts Can Be Destroyed if Law Officers
Do Their Duty.


alarmed the people while their freedom from prosecution has
embodened their projectors to embrace every commodity and
necessity of life.
The the people and their criticisms and fears
after the fashion of the Vanderbilt and the people
derng whether there any virtue left in the laws in the
chosen them. The trusts have been
full in buying or terrorzng who ought stand between
the people and exorton by monopoes that they have put
their dishonest and dshonorng hands upon the and the
legislatures and ant their successful violation of law
in the faces of the people they rob and Destroy and ask
what you going do about itH And the people, lack
ing organization and equipment troubled to know whet
after all there any hope of winning in against
these outlaws of who stop nothing accomplish
their purposes
In the great conflict that is coming there but things
necessary for the people to win against the trFah and
Zeal No pessmst will the fight against them for he
will say Il have no heart in fight against organized capital
1t always wins" Such fant-hearted have stomach
for the fight because they have faith in their fellows They
forget that organized capital always WINS only when it
seeks the protection Of the law and engaged lawful
prise The Illegal the money employed in them is
like money used in any other unlawful and they
not awavs VIM if the people themselves Vigorously
against them Can be suppressed That the question
that is necessary settle amativey induce all the oppo
of the unite in compelling legal proceedings
against them. Men will unite III crusade howeve
worthy unless they feel that there good opportunity of
achieving The first point consider is whether the
courts will uphold the antitrust laws The that is
clear In the case of the United States TranAssour
Freight Association rendered the 9th of March, 1897 the
court gave strong argument against follows
1T is true that results Of trusts combinations of that
nature may be different in different kinds of corporations Yet
they all have essential similarity and have been induced by
motives individual corporate ACKNOWLEDGEMENT against
the public interest
In business or trading combinations they may tenn
poary or perhaps permanently reduce the price of the
tce traded iii manufactured by reducing the in
separabe the running of many different companies for
the same purpose
Grade or commerce under the circumstances may
thees be badly and unfortunately restrained by driving out
of business small dealers and worthy whose lives have
been spent therein.
Mere reduction in the price the commodity dealt in
might be dearly paid for by the ruin OF such class and the
absorption of control commodity by alpowerful
combination of capital 1t is in the power of the
combination raise it e price, and the result in any event
unfortunate for the country by deprvng 1t OF the
of a large number of small but independent dealers.
ut is not for the real prosperity Of any country that such
changes should result transferring independent
business mantle head of his establishment, small though it
might beino servant agent OF corporation toI
selling the commodities which he manufactured dealt
in having voice in shaping the business policy Of the com
panv and bound to obey orders issued by another
Nor is for the substantial interests of the country that
any commodity should be within the sole power and sub
jec the sole will of powerful combination of capital
Attorney MOnnett,
vigorous the Standard Oil trust and who knows bet
than any else the vast power and the corrupt methods
employed by the trusts, recently said:
ct has been my private opinion that if all attorney generals
III the States wohd take concerted action upon this matter
could rid the country of these within the next ninety
days.
There doubt that Mr. Monnett is right about this. 1t
would be clds play They would have to be Jealous
gressive honest abe-ready withstand bribery and the
wes the ablest lawyers that the gotten gains of the
could employ. But with the law and strong public
sentiment behind Them the attorney generals of all the State,
could destroy the trusts and compel them to return to the
original Establishments that existed before the form
ed Whenever the Attorney General of the United States
Jealous destroy interstate and the attorney generals
and solicitors of the States Jealous enforce the State
laws the will be destroyed And these officers will have
faith and zeal prosecute these rich voaors of the law when
they quit depending money from the trusts to secure their
election AS long money wins in elections the trusts will
the law officers The people put end to this when
they will.
why the people have doubted the ability of the
law officers the of the trusts that III
some instances where prosecutions have been brought the law