The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-04-09

Last fall in speaking at Cincinnati
said: The necessary supervision and
control in which I firmly believe as
the only method Of eliminating the
real evils CT the trusts, must come
through wisely and cautiously framed
legislation, which Ghail ain in the first
place 10 give definite control 20 some
sovcreian over the great corporations.
and which shall he followed, when
once this power mas been conferred. by
a system giving 20 the government the
full knowledge which is the essentiA
Tor satisfactory action. Then Wnen lhis
know!edge-cne OF the essential tea-
lures OF which is proper puoliclty--haS
beer gained, what further steps OF any
kind are necessary can DE taken WIN
the confidence born CT tee possession
Of power to deal with the subject, ana
OF thorough knowledge of what
should and can be done in the matter.
We need additional power, and we
need knowledge =. Such leSls-
lation-whether obtainable now or
obtainable only after constitutional
| Northumberland provide for rea-
sonable supervision, the most proml-
T - feature ct which az first should
b publicity: that is, the making pp5-
i:c. 10th 10 the government authori-
t:eI and 20 the PEOPLE At large, the es-
scnt.al ;1cts IL which the p"biic is con-
ct:ncc. Ills would give US exact
E:i2"!CdGe CT many Points which are
no" @Ct Ca!y in d0G5t bat the subject
o. ic"c2 controversy. MOrCOve.. tie
E.c:c :GGt OK tic publication would
GU c so;ne WY grave ev.!s. fOT the
|; r, C.. Gay IS Z deterrent to W:cnk-
,.u:;,c.
SUIT AGAINST THE FEDERAL
SALT COM2ANT.
II November. 1862. The AttoTa2y
Genera! directed t&&t hill for Ga in
junction lie fled n tha raitcG States
Circuit Court 81 san F,..2cicco agaias;
t:ic FeGsra! Salt C3Mpaay-a co:qo.c-
tiGa wEi.l had been organized uElar
-. laws O. an E.cSiecr Sta%o, but had
its main Cflce and PRINCIPAL place O..
business in Ca!i:Crnia-aud against Il
r"Gber OF other companies and per
sons constituting waat was known as
tae Gflt trust These i1junctions we're
TO restrain tic execution OF certain
contracts between the Federal Sat
Company and the other defendants. by
which the latter agreed neither to iE1-
port, buy, 0: sell salt, except from and
to the Federal Salt Company, and not
to engage or assist in the production
OF salt west OF the Mississippi river
during the continuance OF such con-
tracts. AS the result of these agree
ments the price Of salt had been ad-
vanced about 400 per cent. A tem-
porary injunction order was obtained,
which the defendants asked the court
to modify on the ground that the anti
trust law had no application to con-
tracts for purchases and sales within
State. The Circuit Court overruled
this contention and sustained the
governments position. This practically
concluded the case, and it is under
stood that in consequence the Federal
Salt Company is about to be dissolved
and that no further contest will be
made.
A SUCCESSFUL EFFORT.
The above is a brief outline of the
most important steps, legislative and
administrative, taken during the past
eighteen months in the direction OF
solving, SO far as at present it seems
practicable by national legislation or
administration to solve, what we call
the trust problem. They represent a
sum Of very substantial achievement.
They represent a successful effort to
devise any apply real remedies; an ef-
fort which so far succeeded because 1t
was made not only with resolute pur-
pose and determination, but also in a
spirit of common sense and justice. as
far removed as possible from rancor,
hysteria, and unworthy demagogic ap-
peal. In the same spirit the laws will
continue to be enforced Not only is
the legislation recently enacted effec-
tive. but in my judgment it was i'm
practicable to attempt more. Nothing
OF value is to be attempted from
ceaseless agitation for radical and ex-
treme legislation. The people may
wisely, and with confidence, await the
results which are reasonably to be eX-
pected from the impartial enforcement
Of the laws which have recently been
placed upon the statute books. Legis-
lation Of general and indiscriminate
character would be sure to fail, either
because it would involve all interests
in common ruin, or because it would
not really reach any evil. We have
endeavored to provide a discriminat-
ing adaptation of the remedy to the
real mischief
ALLEGED REMEDIESTOO DRASTIC
Many of the alleged remedies advo-
Gated are Of the unpleasantly drastic
type which seeks to destroy the disease
by killing the patient Others are so
obviously futile that it is somewhat
difficult to treat them seriously or as
being advanced in good faith. High
among the latter l place the effort to
reach the trust question by means of
the tariff. You can, of course, put an
end to the prosperity of the trusts by
putting an end to the prosperity of the
nation; but the price for such action
seems high. The alternative is to do
exactly what has been done during the
life Of the Congress which has Just
crosed-that is. to endeavor, not to de-
stroy corporations, but to regulate
them with view Of doing away with