Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-01-15

session d Joint Resollti on Was passed
that the AT tornsy General of
lSthas State be 'requix ad y to- forth With |
linstitute an investi cut ion to sdetermla he
by wia author tys he Syirgini Caro-
| line Chemical CT mpany as doing bust |
ISiiess In this ST Sc e and eEher said
comp ny or my p ersop or orporat ton |
who may, be eng aged In any business |
within this State has ated Sor Is |
violating the proyislon Of the laws sof
this State prob blting 81 trusts and COM
|, pinat Ions, and directing him to In
stittlte such proc ceedi ingsg as! might be |
necessary to- pun nisll ~ olators of said |
laws sag galnst trusts and cont lions
ltrocseding under N these sinstruc ctions
given him by YOU, !, the IA Attorney Gem
lseral Instituted a thorough .inyestig
Ito ID determine whether this company
fts tied to do business In this State
nnde these laws of the State &. pros
lahibiting trusts and com binati Ions. = IA 4
ltfull and ela aborate report, showing the
Work he has tloilo and his plans. Will
sbeS submitted to yoh:s In the beginning
he cal lls attentt tonS to the difficulties he
had to enc counter The santl-trust avs
have only recently been enacted In this
country, and especially In this State,
and are not fully developed. On the
other hand ey are as yet "'ern bry-
ionic and chaotic" III some parts being
too sweeping and In others not cover
Ing the entire ground. These combina-
tons are organized secretly, and sit IS
q most difficult matter to obtain def,
mite information In regard to their
formation and the purposes for which
they are organized, and definite infor-
nation must be had in orderto begin
an action in the Courts. II angunlaw-
full combination exist the proof OF The
facts tending to establish its existence
| IS locked up ini thesrecords Of the par
ltlcipatlng corporations" AS you will
| sec from the Attorney Generals re-.
port, difficulties OF this kind are the
ones that confronted him In his every
move. II jg g. 4.
Especial attention Is called to tho
defects in the laws of this State lregu-
lating corporations 1t has been 6the
tendency in This State to give corpora
tions almost unlimited powers such
as the ".nlimited power to deal In
real estate" "the power to acquire and
| transfer shares OF stock In other cor
poratlons," "the power to place under
mortgage or deed oftrust It's franchise
| es, as we'll as all or any OF its proper
ty." When a foreign corporation com
plies with certain provisions and re-
quirements," which provisions and
requirements" amount to little Ior
nothing 1t shall enjoy the rights
OF domestic corporations" In short
the tendency in this State has been to
give corporations the same power to !;
carry on business which is accorded to
the private individual. This principle
Is wrong. Corporations are creatures
i n a to nv,
as the concession of a right, but as a
| favor bestowed" and as such creatures
the State has right to Inquire into
their affairs and methods of transact
ing business, and when 1t Is satisfied
their methods are such as are not con-
| duoiye to the welfare of q majority OF
| the people, then that State which cre-
ated them has the right to put them
| out Of existence.
The Attorney General suggests sew
eral amendments to our existing anti
trust laws and the enactment OF sevc-
raj new laws. FIc has made a thorough
investigation of this question OF con-
trolling the trusts and his excellent
T report shows much study and care in
Its preparation. 1t is worthy your most
careful and thoughtful consideration
and my purpose is simply to direct
your attention to that report
RAILROAD " COMMISSIONS.
The annual report OF tho Board OF
Railroad Commissioners for the year,
| just closed is one of the most complete
that has been issued from this depart
ment. Thirty-nine (S9) miles OF new
mileage have been built and opened
for traffic during the year, The Com
mission has had macy important and
difficult problems with which to deal,
affecting both the railroads and the
people. The solution OF these problems,
as well as the condition of the rail-
roads in tho State. is fully stated in tho
report Of the Board. and your attention
is directed to this report for informa-
tlon concerning this department Of the
State government
STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE IN4
SANE.
The constant accumulation of the In
sane in asylums has been ono OF the
most startling features In tho history
of the great charities of the century
just closed. these great asylnms be-
Ing at once the pride Of tho humans
tartan and stumbling block to the
Legislative economist.
IN origin our State Hospital dates
among the very first, and II is now
entering upon the elghtletli year ofits
existence. Although unfortunately lo-
Gated within a city, when 1T should
have been long since, removed 10 the
country 1t has fulfilled Its important
mission In. our Commopwea and
given shclter to over 10000 inmates,
During the past year the admission of
459 patients has been the largest In
oh