Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-03-07
10 McDILL'S MUSINGS.
THE CAPITAL ON PROSECUTING TRUSTS.

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The Topeka Capital says in substance, that the at
torney-general has concluded that the merging of
the Northern Pacific and Great Northern under the
Northwestern Securities Company, will be in violation
Of the Sherman antitrust law, and suit will be nsti-
tuted to prevent the scheme from Matching" The
Capital also says that the suit will be good thing
that will put to rest the petty complaining" alleged
as the indifference Of the government toward the great
trusts The Capital also says that various" attorney
generals have fully prosecuted the violators Of the
Sherman antitrust law Also, the Capital says that
the sugar trust prosecuted. but the case failed to
stick in the United States supreme court but that the
stuck and the government won, but the victory was
costly to the people, since rebates and determinations
have Sprung up and continued ever since. The Capt.
tai also remarks that the merger case is the the third
case brought by the government under the antitrust
law.
From all this, we conclude that If trusts are bad
thing, we will have to call on the Lord to help u.s. for
government is utterly impotent.
The reader will bear in mind that have only given
summary Of the editorial referred to- and briefly From
the Capitals standpoint. the trusts have been vgor
ousy prosecuted by the various" attorney generals
Two cases have been tried the United States supreme
court One case did not stick The other stuck but
the decision cost the people like bazes in rebates and
determinations The last various attorney general
who, by the way is corporation attorney and his serv
ices in single worth to the corporations
much $5oooo is going to bring third suit in order
to vndicate the governments claim to vigorous prose-
cutions Of the antitrust law land stop petty complain
ing"
To an ignorant farmer like myself, would seem that
two suits in twelve years hardly vigorous consider
ing that within that period, something like two hundred
trusts have been formed and have grown and attened
apace under the very Of the vigorous and war
ious" corporation lawyers. 1t would also seem to
farmer that. If the government won one suit and the
people were injured thereby would be wrong bring
another suit, lest it might win second time. If vic
tory No. was costly to the people. Victory" No. .
should be avoided at all hazards But the mandate has
gone forth from strenuous president and fftythou
sanddoar attorney is busy preparing papers that shall
knock the great merger scheme into the middle Of the
next century-and all before supreme court that knows
no South no North and no poor people.
Now. as matter Of fact. strenuous president is
giving the country little grand-sand fireworks.
Two three of the governors Of northwestern states
their ear and they are green enough to believe
that they and the people Of their states amount to
thing when matter Of fact. they don't amount to
hill Of beans when piled against merger scheme.
And also, as matter Of fact, the Sherman antitrust
law doesn't amount to hill Of beans; and the Capitals
editorial is weaker than diluted water and sticks no
closer together than dried shucks and any pretense Of
Republican hostility to trusts is thinner than rared
moonshne
No one who knows the Capital bames it for standing
up for the trusts for servant Of servants unto the
octopi masters and it is part Of its business to make
straight the paths Of who live, grow and atten
other mems toll. II will be perceived that the Capital
is not opposed to the merger not believe that
the "merger is wrong; neither does the Capital claim
that strenuous president. fftythousand-
attorney general is bringing suit because the merger
ought to be unmerged but for the purpose Of putting to
rest petty complaining Of people who, as yet, have
failed to be paakers in the benefcenses dispensed by
the great benevolent combinations Of greed Of course
the proposed will not stick No sticks in the
United States supreme court where the interests Of the
mass Of common people are involved. 1t is not intend
ed that the case shall stick The real intention is to
hoodwnk the people Let us hope that the petty
planning will grow until it becomes mighty action
HIT.
The Topeka Capital says, speaking Of the Populist
party that substantially. all the practical politicians in