The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-03-09
THE ANTITRUST BILL.
How Honest Democrats who are Not Con.
trolied by Trusts. Look at 1t.

How Honest Democrats who are Not Con.
trolied by Trusts. Look at it.
On this bill, Webster's weekly, a
Democratic paper makes the follow
ing timely remarks:
"Mr. Stevens antitrust bill Jared
badly at the hands of the Judiciary
Committee of the Senate last Friday.
Its best feature-the dynamite inten-
ded to blow up the trusts-was strick-
en- out and other char g-s made that
render it important to harm the
trusts. We are surprised that Mr..
Stevens should have consented TO
the elimination of the 5th section Of
the House bill, which Is the strong
point of his measure. The House
should insist upon Its reinstatement
or let the bill fail entirely. 1t is bet
ter to have no trust law at all than
to have one that is not worth the pa
per it is printed on. No law is
worth a snap that does not provide q
penalty adequate to the offense i,
forbids. Good men are governed by
their sense Of right; bad men must
be taught the terrors of the law.
"The charm of the House bill is
that it puts the trusts on the defen-
sive; treats them as outlaws and de-
MES them the power and authority
of our courts to force our citizens to
respect the rights of combinations
organized in defiance of law The
principle is just and reasonable. 1t
will hurt NOBODY who obeys the law.
1t ought to hurt those who break it..
Mr.. Stevens. in an interview with
reporter of the News and Observ-
er, shows that the Senate Committee
loaded down his bill with amend
ments which make it of no practical
effect.
We regret that the amendments of
which Mr.. Stevens so justly com
plains were adopted upou the motion
of Senator Glenn and the one which
failed of adoption and which Mr.. Ste
vens says would have Quilted his bill
came from the same source. His DO
sition is inexplicable to US.
The following from the News and
Observers report of the hearing is
of interest in this connection
Senator Glepn said anti trust law
should be passed. He moved to adopt
the amendments which are as follows
To strike out section 5; to exempt
agricultural articles and commodities
used in the cultivation of the farm; to
exempt retailers; in section IL strike
out "who is not party or interested
in, q n IF - e.:
Senator Fields: with the amend
ment whom would the bill reachp"
Mr.. P0u: "Any trust in the State. .
Mr.. Stevens: THAT would make the
bill nudity, would it not, Mr.. ROM.
tree ?"
Mr.. Rountree: 1T looks very much
like it,
Mr.. Hicks: 1.-THE bill looks like it
was aimed at foreign trusts, but lets IN
State trusts"
Mr.. Pou: II do not think there are
any trusts in the State"
Assuming that the News and Oh
server reported tho proceedings cor.
rectiv, Mr.. James 81 Pnu's position
seems to Us mockery of the Demo.
cratic position on the trust question.
He assured the committee that the
emasculated bill would reach every
trust in the State, and a few mo-
ments later made the Re markable as
sertlon that there are no trusts In
the State! II there are no trusts in
the State, what NJ cessity is there TO,
passing an anti trust statutei Or il
Mr.. T on means that all trusts opera
ting IN North Carolina are foreign
corporations, what objection car
there be to denying the protection Of
our laws to alien corporations who