The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-02-26
PASSES THE SENATE.

PASSES THE SENATE.
The Antitrust Bill, After Long De
bate, Gets Through.
The State Senate spent the greater
part of Thursday in considering the
antitrust bill, which had passed the
House several days ago. The debate
was long and tedious.
Senator Ragsdale defended it. The
Democratic party to which we belong
he said, has committed itself to legis
lation Of this kind, and if we 60 home
without passing this law we will nat
urally meet the approbrium Of the
people. No senator can say that it is
evil to undertake to control trusts anC
combinations. All that it is desired
to do is to prevent the strangling Of
competitions. This is the only plar
that has ever been proposed for deal
ing successfully with the trust queS
tion. This very law has been passed
in Texas and has been proven Satisfac'
tory and etficaciouS in that State.
Senator Manning said he could not
support this bill as it is presented here.
Like other Democrats on that floor be
was opposed to trusts and no one who
is careful observer of the times car
fail to regard with alarm the tenden-
cy to dangerous aggregation Of wealth
into combinations that tend to crush
out legitimate competition-but he
would address himself to one particu-
lar question in this bill, the affidavit
clause.
Senator Aldrich then took the floor
against the bill. He declared that he
knew of no great demand for this leg
islation. He knew Of no corporation
which has made itself obnoxious on
the grounds usually urged against
trusts. He said this is peculiar bill.
He can't understand it and he didn't
believe anybody understands it. An
other objection is that it brands
man who enters into a combination
with fraud and conspiracy and his
business reputation is blasted. An
other objection is that this bill de-
clares certain things to be a crime,
and every business man in the State,
when be undertakes any enterprise,
must pause and consider whether be
may not be adjudged guilty of a crime.
Senator Henderson said he would be
in favor of some amendments that
would be offered, but at any rate he
would vote against the motion to Kill
the bill because he believed some legis-
lation on this subject is necessary.
We cannot wait for action by th: fed
eral congress, because action on this
bill will never be given so long as the
Republicans are in power. Our State
attorney general has told us that some
legislation is necessary, and this IS the
best plan that has been offered. We
are all Democrats, and ali our plat
forms have spoken against trusts,
therefore we cannot vote against this
bill.
Senator Graydon spoke in favor of
the bill. This is almost an exact
counterpart of the Texas law, which
has been on the statute books Of that
State for several years, and yet no
great harm has ever come to that
State. One Of the greatest evils to be
feared in the United States today is
the great combinations Of capital.
The trusts were the cause Of the wal
with Spain, because they expected to
make great profits out Of this war.
This bill will not hurt our cotton
mills because they are not in any
trust. We have had an antitrust
law on our statute books for several
years: and yet has that ever driven
any capital out Of our State? This
bill will not injure any legitimate
business.
The vote was then taken on the
question of striking out the enacting
words. senate refused to kill the bill
as follows:
Yeas-Aldrich, Appelt, Barnwell,
Bowen, Brown, Caughman, Dennis,
Manning, Moore, Sullivan, Walker
II.
Noes-Blakeney, Brice, Dean,
Douglass, eileen, Goodwin, Graydon,
Henderson, Hcugh, Hydrick, 1lderton,
Mayfeld, McDermott, Mower, Rags
dale, Raysor, Sheppard, Stackhouse,
Stanland, Talbird, Williams-21.
After the senate refused to kill the
bill the amendments began to pour in,
as follwS:
Senator Hydrick offered and amend
ment exempting insurance companies
from the bill. His amendment was
adopted.
Senator Aldrich offered an amend
ment to exempt farmers organizations
from the provisions of the bill. This
was lost.
Senator Aldrich then offered an
amendment to exempt companies
formed to develop timber lands. This
too was lost.
The bill was then ordered to its
third reading.
Winthrop College.
The State Senate spent most OF
Wednesday in debating the Winthrop
III