The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-23

Senator Morgans antitrust resolution !
may rise to vex the temper of the ad-
min!stration and its clansmen In the |
American senate. 1t is as follows
That any contract, agreement or combna-
tion between two or more concerns Whlch |
has for its purposes the control OF the price
OF ANYTHING which is the subject OF, or en-
tiers into Interstate commerce, or the cost oil
the transportation there, so as TO increase
the same at any place or Zoe iltS III III"
United states. or to discriminate IN favor OF
or against any class OF dealers, traders or
consumers OF such articles within the Uniteu
States, IS contrary to the public policy OF the
United states, and every such contract,
agreement or combination is illeHali ana ~
ANY person being member of any cor
porstiou or acting as its agent, othcer ~
cmrloye, who enters INFO any such contract
agreement or combination, or knowingly
assists in the execution or performance there
II, Is guilty Of misdemeanor aud IS llanle
Ia prosecution for such offense on informa
ton or BY indictment in the district court in
which such onense is committed, and or
conviction thereof such person shall be hnc1
sum not less than $500 aud not TO oNeeet
$500, and also be Imprisoned FOR term in the
discretion Of the court in which such con
Vieticn is had, Of not less than one month
and NOT greater than two years.
Bere Is resolution that means some
thing. 1t Will very likely never pass. In
fact it may never blink its open eye in
tho senate and won't II this trust ad-
mnistration can dispatch 1t beforetimes.
II will he remembered that a few weeks
ago the United States supreme court
handed down a decision to the effect that
the Adyston cast iron pipe combination
was trust and Illegal This comhina-
tion was formed OF Ave hitherto indepond-
ent and competing corporations operating
IN as many States. In reaching It's con-
clusion tho court followed a line OF reas-
ouing similar to that which has charac-
,eri2ed 1t ia dealing with the railroad
pooling cases viz; That companies To-
Gated In different States can not enter into
price agreements that are legal because
they are trusts according to the sherman
law Of 1890.
This decision was hailed with satisfac-
ton by the enemies to trusts as a reme-
dy that would destroy their hanetul oper-
ations in arbitrarily fixing prices and in
destroying the liberty OF trade But tho
Adyston pipe concern is now trust cor
poration and goes right on doing business
as complacently as If II had forgotten its
five years experience in the courts that
eliminated in the decision under retire.
ence
The country must look elsewhere than
TO the decisions OF the supreme court
based on the Sherman law OF 1890 or any
other law that has heretofore been in
voked for relief.
The trusts will go on fixing prices unit
one of their great aids to monopoly--th'
TARIFFS smashed and law or laws en-
acted that will SO hedge them about as Il
make the evasions. that many OF them
arc now practicing so eifectuaily. impos
sible.
Senator Morgan's resolution looks afte
these evasions with searching keenness
As we have said, It will probably be cud
geled to death, II 1t ever breaks into tn
senate, by the republican promoters o.
trusts. But. II vigorously pressed, the
democrats will make an opportunity o
showing how hollow are Mr.. Mckinley
antitrust pretensions and Of possibly pro
voking the great and only Senator Mar
Hanna to bolt out into the open to agai
declare. while the wild feyer Of stamped
runs riot through his blood. that the trus
question is one OF business. not politics,