The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-02-19
poly is vicious, dangerous and intoler-
able to say nothing of extortion.

- ~">J VA NhsNhttO~is
When an independent corporation G
e concern cannot enter the business Q
y commercial world upon it's merits an
meet legitimate competition aud tax
even chances with other like concern
ii should go to the wall and should nu
be given special privileges to practlc
their outrageous eXtortions upon tn
great consuming public.
Mr.. Jno. p. Thomas, Jr., oppose,
the bill. 1t is founded upon perniciou
and erroneous principle. He cid no
claim that trusts should not be re
: gulated. But capital cannot be pre-
vented from making combinations. N,
State Legislature can prevent combi
nation. He was doubtful if it is wise
to attempt to so prevent them. But i
is the duty Of every citizen 10 see tina
they are properly regulated. There is
a correct principle of legislation for the
State TO regulate prices. The combi
nation of railroads into systems ha:
not in an evil sense affected the peo
pie, because the State has regulated
the rates. He doubted the truth of the
saying that 4" Competition Is the life oil
trade" Ho declared that the eff
cheney of the service is Increased with
the size of the concerns. Whenever
mercantile or manufacturing establish.
ments become combined until they be,
come monopolies, then they should be
regulated. He agreed that there are
evils in the operations of the trusts,
but they cannot be cured by grating
on our statute books laws taken bodily
from the statute books of Texas. He
then attacked the bill in some of its
provisions, particularly the section pre-
venting the organization of companies
to control the sale of patents and
patented articles. This would prevent
company FROM being organized to
manufacture patented cotton planter,
etc. He did moi believe that, when
ever " foreign capital" is referred TO
in legislation they should make the
cry, don't drive foreign capital
away" but he believes that the foreign
capital should be subjecs to regulations.
However, there should be bill to cor
rect specific evil and not to generalize.
Mr.. M. l.. Smith, of Kershaw, fol-
lowed Mr.. Thomas. The people of
the State had in 1894 elected their
wisest men to frame constitution for
the State. That constitution makes it
mandatory upon the General Assem-
bly, to pnss laws to prevent the torma-
tion of trusts, combinations of capital
The constitution says "shall." 1t is
not in the organic law of the law of
the State to regulate" as Mr.. Them
as argued, but to "prevent."
Mr.. Smith then went on TO say that
the law now on the statute books is in
violation of the interstate commerce
law, and will some day be wiped off
the statute books.
The antitrust laws in 33 States are
no more radical than this proposed
measure. There is need for proper
ANTITRUST laws. He declared that if
this kind of law would keep capital out
of the State, why does Texas hold on
to the Hogg law? The bill allows one
firm or one corporation to unite with
tanOther, providing the combination is
not for the purpose of controlling
prices and driving out competitors.
That is what the bill seeks to prohibit.
1t is question of fact to be passed up
ON by jury.
The constitution gives the right to
the Legislature to. take away the cor
porate rights of companies violating
the laws of the State.
He was followed by Mr.. Weston,
who declared that lie is not the repre-
sentative of any trust. The General
Assembly cannot in being true to it.
self do anything which will injure the
interests of the State. He told how l.
@. @. Lamar had gone contrary to the
wishes of the people of Mississippi, but
had by them been indicated, as he
had done what was right and what
they afterwards saw was right. He
attacked popular legislation which will
not be bene fetal to the interests of the
State. Like Addison's Cato, he de-
plored the creature who would become
great on his States ruin.
Mr.. Weston went on to say that if
South Carolina should adopt such a
law as this she would be blacklisted
and capital would seek investments
elsewhere. He stated that this bill
had been killed two years ago. (Mr.
Johnson stated that it had not been
killed in this House.) Mr.. Weston
answered that the House might have
passed it hoping for the Senate to kill
1T. AS stockholder In fertilizer
company which hal sold to the Vir-
ginia Carolina CHEMICAL Company he
declared that they found little money
in the business and were glad to sell To
the larger corporation. This bill
would keep man from accepting the
agency fora bicycle or sewing ma.
chine manufactures.
Mr.. Rucker asked if the Virginia.
Carolina had built single plant in the
State for the States interests. Mr.
Weston replied that it had done wha,
was equivalent, it had bought ur
bar ''rupt plants.
| N. DeBruhl IN reply TO Mr.. WesLor
said that If this bill is wrong in prin
ciple, so ls the law now on the statute
books and 80 was the action of tht
Legislature authorizing the attorney
general to investigate. The policy o
the State was settled by the constitu
tion in 1896.
II He declared that there is nothing IL
the bill to keep foreign capital out o
the State. If capital doesen't want u
aquiesce in the laws of State,
: should keep out of the State. Th
> farmers who have had the price O
! their cotton seed reduced arbitraril
: know whether or not trusts ere GOO
. things tor the people. He didn'
: think the Fed ,ral Congress could reac