The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-08

shall attempt to monopoliZe or control
production by allowing discrimination in
prices, etc, in order to destroy COMPETE
ton. The able lawyers who drew the
bill, therefore, admit that, if the public
welfare demands it, Congress has the
power to prohibit all Interstate COM
merce to those offending against the well
fare of the people. The bill is no doubt
the product of much constitutional re-
search. The air has been full of rumors.
which have not been strenuously denied,
concerning the action of the Chief eX-
ecutive in requesting one member of the
committee to carefully investigate the
trust evil The assistance of the Attor-
ney-General of the United States has
been invoked. So we have % right to
assume that the provisions OF section
do not exceed the constitutional power of
Congress.
Now. then, if this be true, you have
the power to prohibit any corporation or
individual, which or who shall acquire
monopoly of any of the essentials of life,
from engaging in Interstate commerce.
Mr.. Chairman, if our Republican friends
will add a section including this proVi-
sion and comforting this power upon some
designated agency, it will stimulate some
hope in the breasts of the people. 1t
will be some evidence of an earnes tnesS
Of purpose. and it will tend to contradict
the impression that the Republican party
is really the friend of the trusts and is
simply triflng with this great question.
Mr.. Chairman, why not resort to some
thing that is practical? This is great
question, which should be approached
with absolute candor and with the utmost
sincerity of purpose. Its importance is
so great that every statesman in the land
should place its consideration far above
any party advantage. / shall vote for the
pending measure but | have little hope
that any material relief will be accom-
plishcd by it. Both political parties have
promised the people, in the most emphat-
ic terms that they would do all in their
power to strike from their hands the
shackles of monopoly.
We all know that the wage-earne is at
the mercy of the trusts. We know that
the price Of some of the great agricul-
tural products of the country is abso-
lutely fixed by the trusts We know that,
practically speaking, the trust buys at
it's own price and sells at it's own price
millions are almost as common today as
thousands were in the early days of the
Republic More than this We know
the trusts are charging the American
people for their goods more than they
charge foreigners for identically the
same goods We know that they are
Furnishing us for making them rich. And
yet we are protecting the trusts from all
outside competition. Our folly has been
so great that we have put ourselves in
their power. Thank God the party to
which | belong has done what it could to
prevent this. but the Republican party
has shut off competition from the out
side world and has said to the trusts and
monopolies Here are 100000 Ameri-
can people They are your legitimate
prey. Do with them as you see fit. They
shall not buy goods from foreigners; they
must buy your goods. Put your own
price upon them. The prey is yours: do
with If as YOU see fit What is the log
zeal answer to all this. Mr.. Chairman?
What does the conscience, the sense of
right which God has put in the breast of
every man, what answer does it give?
IT is this: Remove the protection allow
ed by law to these great criminals; let
them have the world to compete with
let the American buy wherever he can
get his goods the cheapest.
If in the course of time the trusts shall
,nononoIiza the commerce of the world
humanity may be forced to deal with
them in an entirely different manner.
Whv not remove the protection they en-
iov nv reducing the tariff upon the arti-
mn fQp ut n thuf
noint which will force them to sell as