Arizona republican., 1902-04-24
THE BEEF QUESTION.
Is the Alleged Combine to Be an Issue
in the Congressional Elections?

That the Herald's documentary proof
OF the existence of the rapacious beef
trust has profoundly stirred the people
is shown by the excerpts from news
papers published in every part CT the
country, and it is destined to become
an issue in the approaching congress
sional elections.
The resolution introduced by Rep
resentative Thayer of Massachusetts,
recites the Herald's facts and calls
upon the attorney general to inform
the house what steps have been taken
toward prosecuting the rapacious vio-
lators Of the law. That puts the mat
ter right up to the administration at
Washington. and the resolutions will
rot be permitted to slumber in COM
mittee.
At the meeting of the executive COM
mittee of Tamnany hall yesterday res
olutions were adopted which denounce
the beef trust, demand the repeal of
the tariff on foreign meats, and, iii
the name of the laws which this con-
spiracy violates and the people whom
it Expresses, require the attorney gen.
eral at Washington and the attorney
general - Albany to forthwith pro-
coed against it, It was further re-
solved to appoint committee of three
to act on behalf of the organization for
the suppression of the trust.
OF the myriad trusts in existence
there is none that touches the homes
in fact. the stomachs-of the people so
closely as this combination for the con-
tori of q prime necessary of life. 1t is
of no consequence that the half dozen
firms or companies which have effected
virtual monopoly are not welded into
one corporation or that they have no
formally filed articles of agreement
The fact that they have abolished COM
petition and do control the supply of
meat and fix its price to consumers is
a direct violation of the common law
and the statutes of the several states
as we'll as of the federal antitrust en-
actment.
In condemning the wire cloth man
ufacturers who a few years ago COM
bined to regulate prices the court said:
The people have right to the neces-
saries and cOnveniences of life "a a
price determined by the relation of sup
ply and demand. and the law forbids
any agreement or combination where
by that price is removed beyond the
salutary influence of legitimate COM
petition" There is no break in the line
of decisions at common law against the
methods pursued by the beef trust, and
the federal statute during the last few
years has been rigidly interpreted by
| the tribunal of last resort. The plea
| that the various packers in the trust
have right to exercise the freedom of
private contract will not hold. That is
precisely the defense set up by the half
dozen manufacturers of cast iron pipe
who combined to suppress competition
among themselves and arbitrarily fix
the price of their own product.
| The suit against them brought by the
attorney general for violation of the
antitrust law was carried to the su-
preme court of the United States, and
the drastic decision of that tribunal
! enforced the principle that there can be
! no right TO make private contracts
that are opposed to public policy. This
! Addystonc Pipe case seems to be on all
| tours with that of the beef trust With
| Tammany heading the demand upon
! the Albany authorities to take action
under the laws of this state-which af-
ford ample powers-and democratic
! representatives forcing the matter
upon the administration at Washing
/ ton, the republicans will be compelled
/ TO take action for the relief of the
masses from the grasping tyranny OF
the beef trust or pay the penalty in the
| approaching congressional elections
| New York Herald