The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-16
Sham Battle Opened By Repub-
licanS in Congress.
WANT SOME MORE LAWS
PROPOSE TO AMEND THE CON
STITUTION.
House Committee on Judiciary Re-
ports Amendment Giving Con-
gress Power to Suppress Trusts
Declares Combines Are the Friends
of Trust Bill.

Washington, May 15.-The trust question
led to an animated discussion in the house
committee on judiciary today, consti-
tutional amendment finally being adopted
by party vote, giving congress power to
define, regulate, control, prohibit or dis
solve trusts, monopolies or combinations,
whether in the form of a corporation or
otherwise This amendment and bill re-
stricting trusts were framed some time
ago by special subcommittee on trusts.
After many delays the work OF the sub
committee was brought before the full
committee today with a view to bringing
the trust question before the house.
After several attempts TO amend the
resolution, which were defeated on party
lines, the committee adopted 1t, also by a
party vote, the Democrats voting in the
negative.
The constitutional amendment as agreed
to and presented to the house, proposes
the following as article XVI Of the con-
Stitution:
Section Ali powers conferred by this
article shall extend to the several states.
! the territories, the District of Columbia.
and all territory under the sovereignty
and jurisdiction of the United States.
Section 2.-CQngress shall have power
TO define, regulate. control, prohibit or
dissolve trusts, monODolies or combina-
/ uons. whether existing in the form of
corporation or otherwise The several
states may continue foteXerciSe such pow
er IN any manner not in conflict with the
/ laws of the United States
Section 3.-COngress shall have power
! 10 enforce the provisions Of this article
: by appropriate legislation
The majority report favoring the con-
stitutiOnai amendment. says in part:
In our judgment il is the plain duty
of those intrusted with the law-making
power to propose and submit to the peO-
pie of the United States such a remedy
as Will enable congress TO restrain and If
need be, repress absolutely all illegal and
! dangerous combinations which restrain
trade or destroy competition. or which
may unjustly harass or Cypress labor.
Labor has its best friend in aggre-
gated capital corporations and combina-
tiOnS, when fairly and honestly formed
and conducted. Tt is not the existence,
combined capital that merits condemna-
ton and denunciation and demands a
remedy. Such abuses exist. Hence the
necessity for the existence of a competent
controlling and restraining power-a pow
er Of absolute suppression it may be in a
given case"
The report is very long. 1t argues in
eXtensO against the proposed remedy of
placing trust-made goods on the free list,
which remedy, it is asserted, would be
worse than the disease in striking down
protection in an experimental effort to
destroy monopoly or reDress a combi-
nation
At the afternoon session of the house
judiciary committee, an antitrust bill was
ordered to be reported in addition to the
constitutional amendment previously
agreed on. The bill differs from that pre-
viously framed, and Is amendatory of the
Sherman law. Corporations or associa-
tiOns managed for the purpose of con-
trolling or mOnOpolizing- the manufacture,
production or sale of any article, or for
the purpose of increasing or decreasing
the cost to the consumer or user are de-
clared illegal 1t is then provided that
such an organization may be proceeded
90 inst and fTqi lnf4
interstate commerce and, if declared IL
legal. may be forbidden the use of the
mails and interstate commerce in its
products or propertyaare then prohibited.