The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-02-21
THE COOPER ANTITRUST BILL.

In House bill No. Ais. introduced by Mr..
Cooper, of Clinton. and unanimously rec
commended by the committee on corpora
tons, the House seems to have a bill which
It can pass. The bill contains but four
sections. The first section. which defines
O combination to restrict trade and indus
try, reads as follows:
That from and after the passage Of this
act all arrangements, agreements, trusts or
combinations. or any agreement or ar
rangements that are made whereby a party
or corporation refuses 10 furnish any ar
ticle or articles required to be used in
the manufacture Of any article or merchan-
disc, when the party or corporation can
furnish the same. or by charging more
than the regular and ordinary price for the
same, or doing or refusing to do any act
or acts that would cause such party 70
cease to manufacture such article or hinder
such person or corporation from so doing,
and that all arrangements. contracts or
acts done or performed between any per-
son or corporation made for the purpose
of compelling any person or corporation
engaged in the business of manufacturing
any article or merchandise TO cease manu-
featuring any such article. or compelling
the same to close down or go out of bust
ness, is hereby declared TO be against pub
lily policy, unlawful and void.
The second section provides that any cor
p~oration chartered under the laws of In
diana violating the provisions of the first
section shall forfeit its corporate exist
ence, and any foreign corporation violat-
irg the act shall be denied the right to do
business in this State The third section
sions of the act shall be deemed destructive
of free competition and a conspiracy
against trade, and any persons who may
engage in any such conspiracy in any ca
pacity and knowingly carry out any stip-
ulations, purposes. prices. rates or orders
| carrying out such conspiracy shall be pun
ished by a fine of not less than slo0 or more
than 5000, and Imprisonment from one TO
! ten years in the penitentiary." Section 4
provides that any person or corporation
that may be injured or damaged by any
such arrangement, contract. agreement or
combination may recover of such trust
or combination the full consideration paid
| for any goods purchased thereof. The last
| section declares an emergency.
The Cooper bill certainly has the merit
| of brevity and clearness. 1t also clearly
defines a monopoly or an attempt TO create
a monopoly. and provides an adequate
remedy. 1t clearly recognizes the differ
ence between a combination OF capital to
manage a number Of plants with economy
and q corporation which undertakes to con-
troll the entire output and price of a class
of merchandise by resorting TO unusual
methods to compel the trade TO purchase
its goods by refusing to sell IL a dealer
once purchases of n rival. IL declares. very
properly. that when a corporation cuts
prices for a time so as to kill off all COM
p~etitors. 1t is engaged in a conspiracy
against unrestricted trade The bill seems
to be conservative and designed to rem
edy the evils of monopoly such as trusts
like the American Sugar Refining Company
are complained Of being.