Arizona daily citizen., 1901-05-03
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

Regarding the appointment of the
new Attorney-General, the New York
World has this to say:
/. There is an antitrust and anti.
monopoly law on the statute books OF
the United States. 1t provides:
Sec. ;, Every contract, combination
in the form Of trust or otherwise, or con-
spracy in restraint OF trade or commerce
among the several States or with foreign
nations is hereby declared to be illegal.
Every person who shall make
any such contact or engage in any such
combination or conspiracy 81 all be
deemed guilty of Il misdemeanor, and
on conviction thereof shall be punished
by fine not exceeding 5000, or by inn
prisonment not exceeding one year, or
both said punishments in the discretion
of the court.
Sec. 1. The several circuit courts of
the United States are hereby invested
with jurisdiction to prevent and restrain
violations of this act, and it shall be the
duty of the several district attorneys of
the United States in their respective
districts, under the direction OF the At
torney-General, to institute proceedings
in equity to prevent and restrain such
violations.
2. The Supreme Court in defining the
power of Congress to prevent msnopoly
has decided lin the Addystone Pipe and
Steel Company case) that
Total suppression of the trade in the
commodity is not necessary in order to
render the combination one in restraint
OF trade. 1t is the effect of the comb.
nation in limiting and restricting the
right of each OF the members to transact
business in the ordinary way, as we'll as
its effect upon the volume or extent of
the dealing in the commodity, that is re-
garded.
And lin the Trans Missouri Freight
Association case) the court ruled that
even reduction in the price OF articles
traded in or manufactured "might be
dearly paid for by the ruin of such
class" (small dealers and independent
manufacturers) land the absorption of
control over one commodity by an all
powerful combination OF capital" The
court added: "Now, is it for the sub
stantial interests OF the country that any
one commodity should be within the
sole power and subject to the sole will OF
one powerful combination of capital"
3. That the One Billion One Hundred
Million Dollar Steel Trust is the most
powerful combination of capital" ever
made, and that it seeks to control and
does practically control the iron and |
steel products and prices in the United |
States-affecting directly every inhabit-
ant OF the country az consumer-are |
facts which are admitted by the makers
OF the trust themselves. That the Anti
Trust and Interstate Commerce laws
were intended to prevent such combina-
tions there can be no doubt. |
4. The last national platform OF the /
Republican party has this plank:
AS to Trusts.-We recognize then
sity and propriety of the honest coop
Grafton of capital to meet new business
and especially to extend our
rapidly increasing foreign trade, but we |
condemn all conspiracies and combina-
tions intended to restrict business, to |
create monopolies, to limit production |
or to control prices, and favor such leg |
isiation as will effectively restrain and !
prevent all such abuses, protect and pro-
mote competition and secure the rights
oil producers, laborers and all who are