The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-28


1t would be interesting to know whether
the trusts are alarmed by the announce
ment that Attorney General Knox has set
on foot an investigation to find out
whether certain great corporation com
/ binatons are operating in contravention
! OF the Sherman antitrust law" and it
would be still more interesting to know
whether the Attorney General is going
to give the highest court in the land a
chance to pass upon the question as to
whether the trusts are violating that law.
He may come to the conclusion that the
law is not being violated but such con-
clusion would not be satisfactory to the
people. The better plan for him to adopt
is to make a case against one of the
trusts and let the courts pass upon the
issue that would be thus raised
He has some ground for distrusting his
own judgment is so important a matter.
Before he became Attorney General he
was the attorney for one of the greatest
steel plants in the world and. doubtless
he had many reasons for making himself
thoroughly familiar with the Sherman
he aimed at that time to find ways for
keeping the corporations he represented
out of the clutches of the law. and he
might have taken view of the law that
the courts would not take. Therefore, if
he wants to have the confidence of the
people he must give the courts a chance
to say whether the trusts are violating
the antitrust law.
The thought is being thrown out that
the investigation will not amount to any
thing and that 1t is not intended to. The
point that is made is that there is at the
present time a good deal of agitation in
he ranks of the Republican party in ia
the purpose of compelling the trusts
which are protected by the tariff laws to
sell their goods in the home market as
cheaply as they are selling them in for
eign markets. This demand for a revision
OF the tariff comes largely from the
West The Western people are tired of
unfolding tariff which makes them pay
more for trust goods than foreign con-
sumers pay for them. Congressman Bah
cock has voiced their views in respect to
the matter.
The trusts do not want any revision of
the tariff. 1t suits them, and they are
opposed to any tinkering of it. This issue
between the Western consumer and the
Eastern trusts promises to cost the Re
publican party a good many votes unless
ii is settled speedily. One way of salts
flying the demand for revision of the
tariff is to make show of prosecuting
the trusts under the Sherman antitrust
law. Therefore, it is claimed, Attorney
General Knox has let it be known that he
is investigating the question whether the
trusts are violating that law Probably
the hope is that something else win abb
sorb the attention of the public before
the Attorney General finishes his inves-
tigation. In that event. he would be able
to make report that would not attract
much public attention and would. at the
same time, save the trusts from any an
noyance.
The Attorney Generals report of his
findings will be awaited with a degree of
interest that is seldom felt In investiga-
tons of public questions 1t 1s safe to
predict that nothing will be done by this
administration or by the Republican par
ty that would offend the trusts. 1T is
probable that trusts will have pretty
much everything they want. but they
will De cautioned not to become too
greedy The Republican party isn't go
ing to injure them in any way if it can
avoid doing so without losing its hold
upon the West