Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-10-22

Sherman act and said if this law is con-
| stitutional then other legislation along tho
! same line world also be constitutional.
| The keynote of the Attorney Generals
| speech was the positive declaration that
| Congress has full power TO pass any laws
| necessary to control the trusts and end
| a'ty evils for which they are responsible.
! Mr.. Knox proee' ded 20 show that no con-
stitutiona amendment is necessary, ex-
| planned what is lacking in the Sherman
antitrust law, and declared that If, as
| has been proved, this law is constitution
al, an amendment or new law can be
passed by Congress without SPECIAL in
dorsement.by the voters of the nation.
After declaring that the great com
binations of capital. numbering thou
sands, in their numbers and size "appall
no healthy American" ard that no right
thinking man desires to impair the eff
cheney of the great corporations and in
strumentalities of national commercial de-
velopment. he continued:
The conspicuous noxious features of
trusts existent aud possible are tn &c:
Oyer-capitalization, lack of publicity of
operation, discrimination in prices to de-
stroy competition. insufficient personal re-
corporate management. tendency 70 mon
opoly and lack of appreciation in their
management of their relations 70 the peo-
pie, for whose benefit they are permitted
TO exist. Over-capitalization is the chief
of these and the source from which the
minor ones flow"
The speaker declared that corporations
depending upon any statutory law for
their existence or privileges trading be-
yond their own States should be required
to do business in every locality upon the
same terms and conditions. with no pref
erences in service, no discrimination in
prices, and such as are carriers should
be required to keep the avenues of com
merce free and open to all on the same
terms, and to observe the law with ref
erence to sitting competition, more
over" he added, corporations upon
which the public depends for the neceS-
saries of life should be required 10 con-
duct their business so rs regularly and
Reasonably to supply the public Deeds.'
Other recommendations were made and
then the Attorney General took up the
question of the power of the government
to regulate trusts, citing the constitution
and the legislation enacted on the sub
Ject. lie then declared that in his opin-
ion the power of Congress now extends
far enough TO regulate conn, cree in the
ways suggested. He declared that no
one could now say that that power does
not extend so far After reviewing the
recent cases against the railroad merge-
and the beef trust the Attorney General
concluded his speech with these words:
"A law regulating interstate commerce
for its protection against restraint. so
broad as to cover all persons whose bust
ness is conducted under agreements
which are in any way or to any extent
in restraint Of trade might exclude thou
sands of small concerns conducting in
dustries in one State from marketing
their products ia others; but law which
'only covers contracts and combinations in
restraint of trade as defined by the com
mon law would excl.de all hurtful com
binations and conspiracies. Congress
can, if 1t sees fit, adopt the scheme of
that law"