The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1901-10-03
ROOSEVELT WILL DEAL
WITH TRUSTS IN MESSAGE
lMashington speciall

Sherman antitrust law is not broad
enough to deal with the gigantic COM
binations Of capital which have re-
Gently been formed. President Nc
Kinley recommended this subject as
one for careful consideration by con-
gress, and the house passed an amend
ment to the Sherman act. On the
last day of the senate this amendment,
which had been the subject OF much
debate. was re-commltted to the COM
mittee on judiciary. That ended the
effort in regard to trust legislation by
the Fifty-Sixth Congress.
President Roosevelt is on record as
saying in his speech at st. Paul on
Sept. 2:
cit is not only highly desirable, but
necessary, that there should be legis-
lation which shall carefully shield the
interests of wage workers and which
shall discriminate in favor Ofthe hon.
est and humane employer by removing
the disadvantage under which he
stands when compared with unscrupu-
lous competitors who have no con-
science and will do right only under
fear of punishment. Nor can legisla-
tion stop only with what are termed
labor questions. The vast individual
and corporate fortunes, the vast COM
binations of capital which have marked
the development of our industrial sys-
tenn, create new conditions and ne
cessitate change from the old atti-
tude of the state and the nation to-
ward property"
President Roosevelt was cOnServa-
tive in that declaration, and yet there
was the suggestion of radical methods
of meeting the difficulties presented
by the vast combinations of capital.
The President will no doubt discuss
this question more in detail In his
message to congress, but he will not
, prepare that part of his message with
out considering the question from the
legal point of view and after careful
investigation by the department OF
| Justice. The attorney general will nc
doubi prepare legal opinion on the
scope of the Sherman antitrust act
, and what amendments would make it
effective to prevent monopoly without
| crippling American industry.
r Attorney General Knox is under
stood to be preparing such an opinion
for the President, and it might be
said here that, while Mr.. Knox was
for many years an attorney for the
) Carnegie company, he disposed of all
his interests in one of the corporations
absorbed by the steel trust before tbs
combination was effected, and did Sc
at sacrifice of about $50, 900 in the
price paid to him for his stock. He
: did this because he had decided to ac
] cept President Mckinley offer of Z
place i'm his cabinet as attorney gen
eral and wished to be absolutely FREE
from corporate influence after becOm
4 ing an official of the federal govern
ment. Attorney General Knox vii
assist the President toreach an opin
ion regarding trust legislation thai
will be practical and at the same tim,
legal.
There has been some criticism O
. the department of justice because i
has not proceeded against the stee
trust as in violation of the anti-truS
law, but the incorpOratOrS of thu
steel trust keep themselves within TIN
law and tie decision of the Suprem
court in the case against the Suga
trust. The court decided against tn
4 government in that case, and that de
4 ciSiOn would also decide any sui
brought against the steel trust, for i
n is only mOnopolistic in production
o not in commerce, to interfere will
interstate or foreign commerce. Tn
lawyers in the department of justic
have carefully studied the charter @
d the steel trust, and they find that an
r suit that might be begun under tn
d antitrust law would be decide
T. against the government on the sam
y points decided adversely in the cas-
l. against the sugar trust unless the su
r preme court should reserve Itself
which is not likely.
The effort of the department {
justice will be to assist the Presiden
a. in SO presenting the subject to COZ
lie gress and making such recommend;
[. tions as will, if followed, make til
j. antitrust law effective in the restrain
S. of these gigantic combinations {
f. capital.