The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-30
!; THURSDAY. APRIL 80. 1908.
COMBINES 4 AND DEMOCRACY.


g5s co BlNES AND \ DEMOCRACY.
4 g our esteemed contemporary, the Nor or,
Ss folk svirginian- Pilot Is rretting itself be-.
cause OF some remarks OF ours IN COM
K ment on the decision in the Northern
IA Securities case ! and In criticism OF the
Sherman antitrust law. The Virginian-
883 Pilot Is especially disturbed because we
expressed the opinlpn that there had been
s no moro laignihca and Impressive Illus
@ traitor OF the danger from mtscheyoua
Il and 4 meddlesone u legislation than was
NS brought out In that decision. and for y that
~ reason It directs tiie& attentions the
public to what Is pleased to cell THE
& singular anomaly that the Capita OF this
43 Overwhelmingly Democratic State the
S largest city in the State, and the former
US Capital OF the Confederaoy, finds ltselt
S$ for the first time since the Civil War Var
8 without a newspaper that is in harmony 70
with Democratic policies. IL
In vain does The Times Dispatch pro-
ss claim thatit is a Democratic neWspa-
\ per, that 1t believes In and advocates
the true principles OF Democracy; in vain
81 does II proclaim tho doctrines Of Thomas
Jefferson ana champion them with Its
might; in vain does 1t uphold the Demo
cratic organza ton in Virginia and stand no
fB for white mans rule and Southern prln-a
E ciples. All OF that counts for naught
with DIR true blue DemocratIcs contem-
Etporary in Norfolk. We have said that
IN the Sherman law is mlschievous. and 50
we are out OF harmony with Democratic
principles. & Vi
q Is the Sherman law a Democratic meas
&ure? Was the bill introduced by a DEM.
t ocrat, and was 1t passed by a Democratic
Congress-? On the contrary, was II not
introduced by Republican, and was It
mot passed by a Republican Congress-,
n and is it not championed to-day by a
# Republican Presidents Is not Mr. Roose-
rs Welt making d grand stand play" In try
8s ing to have that law enforced? Is the
measure of a mans Democracy to be
l& his championship of q Republican anti
III trust law? Go to
We are not opposed and we have never
been opposed to the regulation of cor
II rnrations by law, They are the creatures
Az OF government and they should be regu-t
lated by government and kept within
e bounds and made, within reason, to serve
/. the public interest. They should Ger.
tainly not be permitted to do that which
%$injures the general public or that which
i is contrary to public policy. But that
M does not commit US to the folly Of leg
,1n
M clamor, witch is both inischievous and
s dangerous to the general interest and
which depryes men in cooperation of
their natural rights. We hold that any
# law which provides In broad and unqual-
sFlfed terms that there shall be no sort
Of comb!ration in restraint Of trade
@ Is a dangerous 'law and may be a mis-
chievous and disastrous law, according
IA MS 1t is Interpreted.
ss3s Let US give an illustration. Several
&S$ years ago there were three morning daily
papers IN the city of Norfolk, and two
OF them the Norfolk yirglnian and the
Norfolk Pilot, were in strong compet!-
# ton. Indeed. there was struggle for esxis:
II, tence, and each paper owned by q separate
& corporation was fighting the other as hare
81 rs 1t could and with all the desperation
OF foes In mortal combat. But by and
~ by when the inevitable was forseen, the
5e officers of these two corporations came
Nj together and decided that It was sensible
All and necessary for them to make terms
4 and stop nghting. Accordingly a COM
#&I b!naiion was formed between these two
f4 corporations by which the two papers
IA were merged into one and the hyphenat ed
II ptocuct, the Virginlan-Pllot remains un:
til this day. As soon as the combination
was formed, the entire situation changed
NJ There was no longer fiGht; there was VI
6gs9longer outing of rates and other deyices
s3of business warfare The consolidated
paper was put upon a business basis ans
the property of both companies save'
fromruin and made prosperous
Yet that same paper which has enjoy
II ed and is enjoying the benefit of latter
day combination in trade. now appear
# as the great champion of anti-combIn
n laws and undertakes to say that Th
Az Time Dispatch lie not a Democratic pa
per, because we have said that the la1
which prohibits such combines Is dar
~ gerous. What pray. Is the difference
& principle between the Virgnian-Pilt
combine and the United States Steel Coz
poration, or any other combine that ha
5s been formed during the past ten years
8 Let our contemporary practice what
breaches. II Democracy Is opposed
5 combines, let this great and good chan
pion OF Democracy cut out Its hyphe
and resolve into its component parts
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@WHATISA DEATH SENTENCE