The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-25
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AS TO THE MERGER

NE" York Times-The creation of~
poratlon to hold and own the sharas w 90
n DO ufeac Northern and the Northarn
~ - laliroaos is, on the fac.
u-ith;,, e' SCI VI competing lines and comes
wl'nin tue prohibition of the statute n-hio1
declares that control or combtn.t;o,, "Aten
stiainI OF trade or commerce between H.
states is Illegal Competition hetwean ~, y
n,eisou hnes is, of course extfngujsbed
lAey nave the power to fix charges In such
way as to restrain trade. The attornor
general, "hen the question was referred to
nln1' ADVISED the president that, in his onin~
lon' nc Id" nad oeen violated. 1t then be-
came the inevitable that steps should he
taken to have the question Judiciary da+ero
Iilined. Inc bill in equity asks that the
northern Securities company be dissolved
ana the shares of the two railroad companies
IN Its possession returned to their original
owners. - 20 'Ns'i
milwaukee, Journal - Attorney General
Knox has teen directed by the nresi-
dent to bring suit under the sher-
man antitrust law to test the legality of
the merging of the great railroad systems
OIL the northwest which the states attempte,
10 reach through state laws, chiefly those OF
minnesota. 1t will be recollected that the
journal some time since suggested this line
OF procedure and cited important sections of
the Sherman law to support it's opinion that
o"CAA when the
state laws would probably fail If this case
is carried through the courts to final adiudi
cation, the power Of the law under our con-
stitution to reach the evils complained of
will be thoroughly Investigated and known.
II it still prove inefficient or in any way op-
presslve, the remedy can be devised The
merger is attacked from both sides and the
whole case Will be covered from all stand
points. .t
The Inter Ocean-The public general
ly will approve the course of the
president and his attorney general in
this case. The formation of the Northern
Securities company concretely exemplifies
certain tendencies which have excited wide
spread alarm.
1t is not, however, the size of this or of
any other corporation that the public resents.
1t is the power, which such corporation
puts in the hands of a few men, to control
the industrial destinies Of millions of citi-
zens 1t is not that the railway managers in
question have fagrantly abused their power
1t is the power itself, with the possibility
of it's abuse, that the public fears.
Chicago rribune-The declaration of the
attorney general of the United States
that it is. his intention, acting UNI
der the direction of the president, to
begin proceedings soon to test the validity
of that great railroad consolidation aimed at
In the organization Of the Northern Securi-
ties company is adequate answer to the
charge that the national authorities are pay
ing no attention to the railroad trust"
which is being created in the northwest 1t
is not unlikely that the attorney general
would have announced his intention at an
earlier day if the State of Minnesota had
not anticipate him.
Record Herald-The action to be taken
by Attorney General Knox, under the
direction of President Roosevelt, to
have the legality of the railway mer-
ger, represented by the Northern Securi-