New-York tribune., 1902-08-28
BAR ASSOCIATION UEETS-
U. VI. ROSE. THE PRESIDENT, TALKS ON
TRUSTS

Saratoga " Y, Aug. 27.-The American Bar
Association began its twenty-fifth annual meet
ing here to-day There a large attendance
of delegates when the meeting was called TO
order by President L. NJ. Rose. OF Little Rock
Ark In his opening address he said in part:
We arc all by this time familiar with what are
called trusts so called. perhaps. because they
contain in their composition not a single hduciary
element. \ German writer who has lately written
book about American trusts counts the AmeIi-
can bar among these PARASITIC institutions. say
Ing that hold meetings for the purP4se t of Feg o
hardly have been made by any one, stEe "a .ST-
country. 1t is due to the truth of history 10 say
that no such meetings are held ana tna1 - we GSI T
tween the United States and the Beef Trust, II not
Our country during the last thirty years has Wit
messed ehans Tt s9h m bgaTR B m means @ Of vast
aggregations of money, corporate monopoles have
trv What effect these tremendous creations will
have our future destiny morally s9claty: lhar- an
Hnno56ies 90 are as old as human history. and
cannot doubt that by their grinding oppression they
kept men and women lying awake OF nishts long
before the Fs P the laws Of ancient Greece and
Rome: they were forbidden by the common law OF
& hnsand IN a and HI the eGmmGn IA" was
monopolies TO say nothing OF price and rate hXnS
and profit sharing p9os, with pu%ins enc h SstHS ~
the trusts all organized for the purpose OF nXins
Inc supreme Court Of the United States and
several of our Presidents have more than once
called attention to the sravlly OF Ine suaI ac bgS am
positions OF responsibility would wantonly excite
But whoever can control the supply can fix his
If existing laws could ne enforced. perhaps no
new ones would he needed in all Of the states
kinds are illegal. and though some states have
that a natural person may do yet these enlarged
grants do not aIthorizs them to create monopoIies
heca natural cannot do that With
violating the law. 1t wouio seem. then, that
like violation ny a corporation would furnish good
ara are rs that m al of the & you'd n9t SO
and derive a considerable revenue from the grant
these circumstances uniformity of action is not to
5s"fsy RfGR@sSft S SE?s
that the absent always suffer and the public
not invited TO participate in corporate meetings
conditions that do not permit even all of the
stockholders 20 examine the books that privilege o
The difficulty is enormously increased when 1t
corporate bodies doing an extensive and varied
business In such cases 1t IS not unfrequenly found
o those OF aRey rsn m g one & Of tde %
question, as TO what the books of the company
would sh2w t; regaIaing tnen under
foresaw long that this dispute would some time
PROD @brODa9,y arise arlSs anu; not kn0wihG eXactiy WIla.
hexible condtion The remedy of publicity % would
Another proposed remedy is the modification or
the tarin laws as far they affect prices OF COM
nodities sold by the trusts. This would open the
trusts to the competition of the foreign markets.
ana to that extent 1t would place limit on the
power 10 raise prices. 1t would not. of course. af
feet all the trusts. and hence II would be made
quate. though IL might prove very useful
Another remedy suggested Is amendment To
the Federal Constitution giving power TO Congress
TO control all corporatonS-a very drastic remedy
indeed. that would greatly strengthen the
lobby one that might introduce OF political
corruption hitherto unknown.
Lastly. 1t is suggested that the Federal Constitu-
amended enable Congress
to prevent by appropriate penalties the smuggling or
rivals by local underselling. by factors agree
mentS' and by similar devices This would not pre-
vent the investment of large sums in corporate
hands. and corporations with large capital would
still have advantage. but laws of that kind
would no doubt be rigidly enforced by the juries
of the country and public sympathy In favor of
and struggling enterprises would probably go
long way to redress the balance.
At the afternoon session an address was made
by Emlin McClain, of the University of Iowa
College of Law. In the evening Judge Nj. d.
Chalmers of London. parliamentary counsel to
the British Treasury read a paper on "COdifi-
cation of Mercantile Law" and Judge Amasa
NJ Eaton. of Providence. r. L., read one on
.,rhe Origin of Municipal Incorporation in
England and in the United States"