Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-28
TRUSTS A MISNOMER
CONTINUED from First Page.)

called respectively. Inc Aladuln Lamp
The supreme court Of the United States
and several OF our presidents have more
than once called attention TO the gravity
Of the situation, and we. cannot suppose
that men occupying such high positions or
There is one form OF tyranny that gov
ernments, however instituted, cannot-at
least directiy-exercise. Efforts have often
been made to control prices by law, but
never successfully. The natural laws of
trade always trumphed over the artificial
laws Of men. But whoever can control the
supply can tx his own prices. as we see in
the s ease t Gf Ph e. : Ssss IN ass i6st IT was P 9Sf
the command of the supply would have
given it to him II he had been a private
individual.
President Roosevelt Quoted.
President Roosevelt has said more than
prices should be subjected TO public control.
in my belief. we do need new legislation
conceived in no radical or revolutionary
spirit, but in a spirit of common sense,
common honesty and a resolute desire to
This language is clear and will meet with
general approval. TIL principal difficulty
pertains to the remedy. II existing laws
would be needed. In all of the states where
the English common law prevails contracts
greatly N rssIrsind Oh mae Trare ana mtTbmnoSpHn,
some states have chartered corporations
with power Ito do all things that a nat
grants do not authorize them to create
monopolies, because even natural persons
cannot, do that without violating the law.
1t would seem then that a like violation by
a corporation would furnish good ground
for a forfeiture of its charter. Bat there
are indications that all Of the courts would
these combinations and derive a consider
able revenue from the grant OF unlimited
cumstances uniformity of action is MT TO
be expected. In the absence Of that uni
formity statutes like that Of South Caro-
line, just noticed. have but little effect on
foreign corporations. The state may expel
them and their agents from Its boundaries,
but II the articles which they supply are
among the common ne~cessaries of life they
must still be bought and probably at higher
prices. than II such acts had not been
passed. {
Primary Elections and the Minority.
Several of the states are stn wrestling
Some of us can remember when, many
years ago, books and pamphlets were pub
our political ills, minority representation
and primary or nominating elections,
which, as asserted, would eliminate both
the political boss and the political dema-
AS to minority representation. 1t was not
tuSeeey p Sreso nov oMti s ~ q minofiti nsiu a Iy
advantage could be gained by p~erpetuating
minorities in the Representation. Accord
proved to Be unsatisfactory As to primary
elections. some Intelligent observers are of
good, they oniy make matters wofses The
Objections are that they prolong the strife
much additional expense; that they tend to
increase fraud and corruption, being held
In wb6 shs m SSSS% Of are = s stasSiis se ROiisiG "a T PSrty
party secrets; that by substituting a house
e house canvass for q FREE and open public
scramble. rife with personalities, misrepre-
sentation and Islander, thus lowering the
from that active participation In the cleo
tions which would be beneficial to the pub
iitijca thf BOSS So a lSf t the p ORiisticSc'i dsms sss pc,
their capacity and for the exercise OF their
enects. II not the purpose, OF the primary
elections is TO head of the Independent
chine has done It's worst, It Sometimes
happens that the independent candidate
affords ths only hope of rescue from a pub
]. express no opinion. on the subject, but
i is dincult to see Why the boss and the
at the prospect Of a double election.
the best form Of government he answered
that they were all so bad that It was hard
t e saS hone SH' 81 t SsS ' i've ~ up to G tseiS IDEALS "a IS
We believe, however, that a representative
msD 4, is their best Dsivat It's a thssSTy d:us shSt 81
things being equal-choose the best tailor,
the best shoemaker, the best lawyer and
s sss p sot o SHStV 70 t tSsir SaS v Sea nS and their e1r
skill, but also to their honesty, they will
iiticai agents. In practice the rule does
not always work out In, that way, and
through "T party Infringement snd a SSesirss
EePrehensi6le eharactsT Are electsd 70 pc.
% wa Gained Srt out the ofhSiEai representa piSes
eonstitusnt. but Il oftsn happens that he Is
greatly below the average, both In respect
OF competency and integrity.
Evil of Our Government.
1t is. sometimes said that every people
aanadd this E Is true 81 ali that are free oS'' The
evils that impair the successful operation
OF our governments, both state and federal.
are deep seated, and quack expedients,
dealing with surface indications. cannot be
relied 6S On 20 1 40 sny ggoooSS ims %Ihsrein must
A clamor Is made in some OF the states
for what is called the initiative and the
switzerland. who's thinly-inhabited can
tons hardly equal our counties In wealth or
population. We have AWAY had the in
absurd and hopeless If no member of the
legislature can be induced to present It for
The referendum we have always had, for
81 any law IL Questionable the voters can
always choose representatives who are
pledged to its repeal. This would seem to
be quite SUFFICIENT without authorizing In
significant minorities to keep alive unend-
ing controversy by a ~factious and impotent
resistance inimics! 10 our form OF govern
ment which rests on the win OF the ma
jority OF the people for the time being; not
that majoHties are infallible, but because
public questions must be settled In some
way and because, as a general rule, ma
jorities are more likely to be correct than
minorities.
POPuIaF Election of Senators.
several OF the states have
an amendment TO the federal constitution
requiring senators of the United States to
be elected by popular vote. This Is one
OF many signs OF distrust OF our legislative
bodies. Thee Is probably no very valid
objection to this change, as II Is clear that
since the rise Of political parties, the de-
vice OF q secondary body OF electors, though
well suited to the time when the federal
constitution was framed, serves at present
no useful purpose, as we see In the case
Of presidential electors who no longer act
on their unbiased Judgment, but under a
political pledge imposed when they were
nominated for that position. But II is bv
no means sure that the election OF senators
by popular vote will confer any benefit.
seeing that IL cannot be easily explained
how the same voters, who cannot elect
good Representatives, can be confidently
expected to elect good senator's.
Al the conclusion OF Judge Roses address
there MAS q brief recess, after which rou-
tine business. including election OF menu