The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-07
THE TRUSTS AND THE LAW.

Most intelligent observers are now agreed that recent
antitrust legislation has tended aggravate danger
TO which 1t has been ostenSbly directed
lord any~lnellgent sufficient remedy 1t is uneniable
that trust formation has been actively in operation
since the socaled antitrust legislation became universal
than before
1here are variety of explanations offered for this
remarkable phenomenon. Nome ALL them seem quite
adequate one feature of the situation should continue
to impress itself intelligent and isinterested observers
1t Is that the original form Of trust combination has
radically changed. We longer confronted by
movement Of various corporations amagamatng under a.
general management while retaining respective cor
porate indemnity The plan in today is to form
new corporation and have transferred body the
various properties which in the proposed combna
ton Whether because OF the lowness Of the official
charges the formation OF these corporations other
wise under the existing law the statutes of New Jersey
present themselves the organizers trusts
new plan as most favorable And accordingly the hugesr
OF such aggregations have their legal origin state
Under this new plan have had formed there are
now IN the process of formation the most tremendous
such organizations for instance the steel trust with
some $1OOOO0000 to 900 of capital and
lock trust with capital $1,000 0O0 and various other
trusts ranging in capitalization the higher TO the
lower of those figures.
The abest thinkers in the economic science
have from time to time their views this
ect OF trust formation They agreed but prn-
cpes Indeed aside from the fact that the movement
either through abuse by it's inherent character Is
dangerous both to society as whole and to the bust
ness community they agreed nothing. dis
cusson of adequate remedies there is among
them 1t may be that will be finally left opera
ton of the ultimate laws removal of the
dangers of such combinations that operation Of the
competitive force in business life will supply the remedy
or that final appeal to the law principle prohibit
ing all combinations in restraint of will suffice
Whatever the effective remedy may be- however 1t
may be applied, society will continue stand in the
gravest need Of effective remedy until it is finally
found and applied
The difficulties standing in the path of such a remedy
cannot be overestmated The prevalence corruption In
our public life is, in itself prime difficulty are IN
politics mostly today among they engaged In
other forms of industry for their profit The really
strong dropping dropped of politics No
really able and ambitious to politics for a
career unless his fortune is already poi
itca parties is in league with those who promi-
nenty identified in the public mind with combinations
While all agreed that in the transaction e the
public business the state has the power ought tc
exercise it to prevent the destruction competition it is
not so plain that competition
in private business unless that prevention plainly
lowed by Injurious consequences to society," really
operates in restraint of trade
But thing thus far clear and that is that
all existing weak dishonest attempts antitrust
making SUCH for instance legislature INDUCED
Itself In few weeks must have ending if
thing effective is to be accomplished then neither
the executive legislative branch government will
be able to cope successfully with the evil.