Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-04

interstate transportation and the suppress
sion of competition, The governors of the
states most deeply affected held a meeting
to consider how to prevent the merger and
passed resolutions calling upon the ma
tional government to enforce the antitrust
laws against the alleged combination. When
these resolutions were referred to the at
torney general he reported that in his
opinion the Northern Securities company
was a combination in restraint Of trade and
was attempting a monopoly in violation Of
the national antitrust law. -hereupon a
suit in equity, which is now pending, was
begun by the government to test the valid
iy OF this transaction under the sherman
law.
Also Probes Beef Trust.
AT nearly the same time the disclosures
respecting the secret rebates enjoyed by
the great packing house companies, coupled
with the high price Of meats. led the at
torney general to direct an investigation
into the methods of the so-called beef
trust. The result was that he filed bills
for injunction against six Of the principal
packing house companies, and restrained
them from combining and agreeing upon
prices at which they would sell their pro-
ducts in states other than those in which
their meats were prepared for market,
Writs Of injunction were issued accord
ingly, and since then, after full argument,
the United states circuit court has made
the Injunction perpetual.
Much Has Been Accomplished.
THE above is a brief outline ct the most
important steps. legislative aud admin
! istrative, taken during the past eighteen
months in the direction of solving. so far
as at present 1t seems practicable by ma
tional legislation or administration TO
solve, what we call the trust problem.
I'm the same spirit the laws wip con-
tinue TO be enforced. Not only Is the
legislation recently enacted effective, but
In my judgment II was impracticable to
attempt more. Nothing Of value is TO be
I expected from ceaseless agitation for rad
ical and extreme 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. Legislation OF q
general and indiscriminate character would
be sure to fail, either because it would
involve all interests in a common ruin, or
because II would not really reach any evil
We have endeavored to provide a discrim-
mating adoption OF the remedy TO the real
mischief.
Many OF the alleged remedies advocated
are Of the unpleasantly drastic type which
seeks to destroy the disease by killing the
patient. Others are so obviously futile
that 1t is somewhat difhcult to treat them
seriously or as being advanced in good
faith. High among the latter | place the
effort TO reach the trust question by means
OF the tariff. You can, OF course, put ar
end to the prosperity Of the trusts by
putting an end TO the prosperity Of th'
nation; but the price for such action seemi
high. The alternative is to do exactly
what has been done during the life OF the
congress which has Just closed-that Is
to endeavor, not TO destroy corporations
but TO regulate them with e view OF doing
away with whatever is Of evil in them and
OF making them subserve the public use
The law is not TO be administered in the
| interest of tha Door man as such. nor yet If