The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-07
BUTTE News.
TO ELIMINATE TRUSTS
Won't Cut Any Ice in the Next
Campaign.
REPUBLICANS WILL ACT
Senator Carter Says the Present Con-
grsss Will Pass Measures Which Will
Take the Question Out of Politics.
Amendment Is Necessary.

United States Senator Thomas H.
Carter is of the opinion that the aues-
ton of trusts will not cut as import
ant a figure in the next residential
campaign as most people now imagine.
The opinion is based upon the beliof
he entertains that the present repub-
lican congress will, by action taken at
the next session, eliminate the ques-
ton as an issue, at least he so ex-
pressed himself in an interview last
evening. Senator Carter who was a
visitor to Butte yesterday. was ask d
his opinion as to the position the ques-
ton of trusts would occupy in the re-
publican national convention in 1900.
He evaded direct reply and entered
into discussion of trusts, in which
he said:
Undoubtedly the question of trusts
Will be the subject of most serious con-
sideration henceforth until just and
proper measures shall have been de-
Nised for proper limitations and effect
i've control of the combina ton known
as trust. The questions presented
are more perpleXing than one would
suppose at first sight. AS usual, We
have large number of fi'ppans per
sons with drastic remedies ready for
instant application and the authors are
always prepared to guarantee a cure.
But recently the state of Ark n as
launched forth with great confidence
to destroy trusts. A sweeping law was
quickly passed which, when put to the
test, was found more far reaching than
its makers and farmers intended. BY
its terms all organizations amorg
laborers were declared as being a con-
bination tending to enhance the pr ce
of a days labor. This one of many in
stances illustrates the need of mature
thought and great caution in the mat
ter of injecting a law into the course
of business operations. In certain lines
combinations of capital are absolutely
essential to the proper prosecution OF
the great business enterprises of the
age. This is particularly true with
reference to transportation. 1t is much
better for the general 7ubic to have
one continuous line of railway between
here and st. Paul under uniform man
agement than to have half dozen
companies and as many changes of
cars in travelling 1000 miles.
The large combination of capital be
comes objectionable when it invades
the legitimate domain of individual eff
fort. By virtue of such invasion the
great middle class of people which
forms the true and solid basis of tho
nations strength would in course Of
time be crushed out of existence and
we would become a nation controlled
by few capitalists and their paid SER
wants. The manner of preventing such
calamity challenges the attention Of
the country to-day and as never before,
The people look to the state legislatures
and to congress for appropriate action.
There are As state legislatures and it is
quite obvious that uniform legislation
by that many legislative assemblies
will be quite impossible. This leads us
to inquire as to the power of congress
to deal with the situation. This power
is limited. Our federal constitution was
framed by representatives of IS small
colonies, each jealous of it's powers and
all of them 10th to surrender the power
they possessed to the new federal gov
eminent. The doctrine of states rights
was generally entertained and only
such powers were delegated to the
federal government as were absolutely
essential to its practical operation.
The trainers of the constitution did not
dream of transcontinental railroads,
nor had they the remotest thought of
the telegraph or telephone. The prac-
teal destruction of space and the con-
sequent uniting of the country, they
did not prepare for. They ave to the
federal government the right to regu-
late commerce between the states, but
that was power merely controlling
transportation.
1T is apparent to my mind that the
federal constitution must be amended
so as to give to congress the constitu-
tional right to regulate and control cor
porations doing business in more than
one state, regardless of the state in
which the incorporated company was
formed This would enable congress
to use the taxing power and likewise to