The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1903-04-09

e:naiions which derive a portion ot
,hsr Importance from ,he existence o,
some monopolistie tendency. The r!gh; |
should be- exercised with caution and
self-restralnt but Il should exis, 81
that II may be invoked II the nee1
arises"
Last fall il speaking at Cincinnati.
] said: The necessary supervision and
control in which ! Armly believe as
the only method OF eliminating the
real evils OF the trusts, must come
through wisely and cautiously framed /
legislation. which shall aim In the first
place 10 give definite control 10 some
sovereign over the great corporations |
and which shall be followed. when /
once this power has been conferred. By /
a system giving ID the government the |
full knowledge which Is the essential |
for satisfactory action. Then when this
knowledge-one OF the essential fea- |
lures of which Is proper publ!city-has |
been gained, what further steps Of any !
kind are necessary can be taken with
the confidence born OF the possession
OF power to deal with the subject, and
of a thorough Es)wlef-" Of what
should and can be done IN the matter.
We need additional power. and We
need knowledge Such legis
lation-whether obtainable now or
obtainable only after a constitutional
amendment-should provide for rea-
sonable supervision. the most Dr0mi-
nent feature OF which at first should
be publicity; that is, the making pub
lie, both to the government authori-
ties and 10 the people at large. the es-
sential facts in which the public is CON
cerned. This would give us exact
knowledge Of many points which are
now not only in doubt but the subject
of fierce controversy. Moreover, the
mere fact Of the publication would
cure some very grave evils, for the
light Of day Is a deterrent to wronk-
doing
SUIT AGAINST THE FEDERAL
SALT COMPANY
In November, 1902, the Attorney
| General directed that a bill for an in
! junction be fled in the United States
Circuit Court at San Francisco against
! the Federal Salt Company-a corpora
| ton which had been organized under
the laws Of an Eastern State, but had
It's main Office and principal place Of
business in California-and against &
number OF other companies and per-
sons constituting what was known as
the salt trust These injunctjons were
TO restrain the execution Of certain
contracts between the Federal Salt
Company and the other defendants. by
! which the latter agreed neither to iin-
| port, buy, or sell salt. except from and
TO the Federal Salt Company. and not
10 engage or assist in the production
OF salt west CT the Mississippi river
n
tracts. AS the result OF these agree
ments the price Of salt had been adj
vanced about 400 per cent. A tenn
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
a State. The Circuit Court overrulet
this contention and sustained tn,
governments position. This practically
concluded the case. and it is under
stood that in consequence the Fedora
Salt Company is about to be dissolve.
and that no further contest vii! b,
made
A SUCCESSFUL EFFORT.
The above is a brief outline OF tn
most important steps, legislative an,
administrative, taken during the pas
eighteen months in the direction o
, solving. 50 far as at present it seem
practicable by national legislation @
administration to solve, what we CA
J the trust problem. They represent
J sum OF very substantial achievement
, Ihey represent successful effort t
5 devise any apply real remedies; an ei
, tort which so far succeeded because
: was made not only with resolute pul
l pose and determination, but also in
spirit Of common sense and justice, a
FAR removed as possible from rancol
: hysteria, and unworthy demagogic az
+ peal. In the same spirit the laws wi
continue to be enforced. Not only
+ the legislation recently enacted effet
4 tive, but in my judgment it was in
t practicable to attempt more. Nothin
= Of value is to be attempted froi
S ceaseless agitation for radical and G,
l. treme legislation. The people ma
j. wisely, and with confidence. await IL
J. results which are reasonably to be e.
s pected from the impartial enforcemeI
|, of the laws which have recently bee
d placed upon the statute books. I1egi
e lation Of a general and indiscrimina
character would be sure to fail, eth
F because it would involve all inte:es
in a common ruin, or because it wou
l. not really reach any evil. We har
Al endeavored to provide a discrimina
II ing adaptation of the remedy 10 Il
"a real mischief
y ALLEGED REMEDIES TOO DHASTl
II Many Of the alleged remedies adv
= Gated are Of the unpleasantly drast
AZ type which seeks to destroy the disea
10 by killing the patient Others are
If obviously futile that ii is somewh
u difficult TO treat them seriously OR
q being advanced in good faith Hi
20 among the latter | place the effort
% reach the trust question by means
=, the tariff. You can, Of course, put
end to the prosperity of the trusts
n putting an end to the prosperity OF I
of nation; but the price for such acti
sc seems high. The alternative is to
I exactly what has been done during t
life OF the Congress which has il
). closed-that is. to endeayor. not to
at stroy corporations, but TO reguli
q: them with view of doing away VI
"a whatever is OF evil in them and
st making them subseVe the public u
OF The law is not to be administered
Il the interest of the poor man az gu
us nor yet m the interest Of the, rich N
II as such, but in the interest Of the Ia
us abiding man, rich or poor. We are
re more against organizations of CAPT
or than against organizations Of Lab
en- We welcome both, demanding o.
be that each shall do right and shah
cal member its duty to the republic. 81