The evening times., 1900-09-29
ILLEGALI1Y OF TRUSTS
The Laws Against Illicit Combine.
ti0ns Net Enforced.
Decision of the Courts Against the
straint of Trade and Opposing the
Common Welfare Of the Country.

The Importance of the trust issue in
the campaign has steadily increased e.er
since Senator Hanna declared that there
were no trusts. The demand for ami
trust literature at Democratic headquar-
ters has more than doubled within the
last ten days, thus showing Ill. is sa d
that in spite of the efforts of the Re-
pubiicans TO ignore the trust question
the people are clamoring for informa-
ton
One of best answers to Mr.. Hanna S
declaration that there are No trusts is
statement just prepared ty William a.
Day, of the State of Wash
ington. Mr.. Days argument ex
poses the Chairman of the Re
publican National COMMITTEES to ridicule
and contempt. After chaIlenzng Mr.
Hanna's statements that there are no
trusts. and that the laws against il
legal monopoiies are enforced, Mr.. Day
calls Mr. Hanna's attention to the d. els
ion of the United States Supreme Court
against the Trns- Missouri Freight Asso-
cation
The court" says Mr. Gay, held the Or
ganization to be q conspiracy and a trust
within the prohibition OF the Antitrust
act. and also held that all combinations
in restraint OF trade or commeHee are pro-
hibited by the act of Congress-. whether
they are in the form of trusts or in any
other form whatever
Here continues Mr.. Day. lisa trust
with no room for doubt. The evidence was
complete in every detail, even to the sig
natures of the eighteen railroad execu-
tlVes who formed and put il in operation
against the people. 1t was officially de-
clded by the Supreme Court to besa crimi-
nal trust. and this decision came just as
Mckinley and his Attorney General were
buckling on the armor of Office Eighteen
prominent and powerful railroad officials,
who had for years practieedsGpenly and
hagrantly the doctrine of the public be
damned, were finally oyertaken and
caught red-handed. 1t only remained for
the new Attorney General to direct his
subordinate District Attorney to indict
and punish them, and what is most need
ed, an example, would have surely fol-
lowed, as the Supreme Court had left no
door open for them to escape.
There was some talk. but no action
followed Some sort of official dope was
administered to those who might have
been active, and no further attempt at
enforcement of the law followed The
Trans Missouri Freight Association was
formally disbanded, but out OF its ashes
new and more perfect instruments, under
other names, were erected for the viola
tion OF the Antitrust law. They took the
names OF the Southwestern Freight Bu-
reau and the Western Freight Association,
which yet flourish, with no one even to
call them TO book
Mr. Day calls Ar. Hannas attention to
"a I'M he
Joint Traffic Association, but row known
as the Trunk Line Association" Mr.. Day
says that the New York Central and the
Pennsylvania roads are the powerful fac
tors in this trust, which comprises thirty
two railroads He adds:
In January. 1886, Nj CIeveland's At
torney General instituted proceedings for
an Injunction on the ground that it was a
conspiracy and trust against the people of
the United States. That case went through
two courts before it reached the Supreme
Court of the United States, which on Oc-
tober "a 1898. held it 10 be a criminal trust
and in violation of the Sherman Antitrust
act Nothing remained for Attorney Gen
eral Griggs but TO instruct his subordinates
to see that the law was Vindieated. or
course that would have made II neces-
sary to indict Senator Chauncey N.
Depew and other rich and powerful men
Even after the Supreme Court had de-
clared the Joint Traffic Association to be
a trust the Joint Traffic Association con-
tinued operations for about year, when
IL was merged into the Trunk Line As
sociation, which is today operating a
pool and enforcing by combination rates
which farmers and manufacturers and
merchants say are eXtortionate. Here
is another trust for Mr. Hanna and one
SO powerful that even the Interstate
Commerce Commission has been unable
to curb its powers and the Administra-
ti0n will