The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-12-21
Worth While.

In another column to-day, "the head
of one of the largest western sys-
TENS" dwells upon the proposition
that it really doesn't make any differ
ence to the railway consolidation rep
resented by the Northern Securities
whether the government or the COM
pany wins the case now before the
supreme court. He remarks that
number Of illegal combinations have
been wiped OUT before now by the
courts, but that, somehow or other,
they manage to keep right on doing
business. He feels confident that if
the supreme court abolishes the North
ern Securities and utterly destroys it's
legal existence, the underlying idea
of consolidation of the Hill railways
will still assert itself, and that eff
fectively. The form may change, but
the fact will remain unaltered.
1t is true that many efforts to
crush monopolies have failed In fact,
even when the name of victory be-
longed to the state. This has been
partly due to the clumsy and time
worn legal methods used in fighting an
essentially modern and extremely
shifty foe. Legislatures and courts
have learned wisdom from these en-
counters with the artful dodgers Of
finance and industry, and each year
sees the ability of the state to con-
troll them growing stronger. Their
lodging has been effective because Of
the hoary rules under which the game
of litigation has been played-the
rules that accept the letter and ignore
the spirit
Now, 1t is probably true that, what
ever happens in the supreme court,
the Great Northern. Burlington and
Northern Pacific will continue to be
controlled by j. J. Hill. Nevertheless.
the legal defeat Of the Northern Sc
curities will be no empty victory
no capture Of Moscow, with the re-
treat to come. A simple method of
3 bringing about monopoly will forever
after be beyond the reach of the con-
solidators. Mr.. Hill may be able to
keep his roads together without the
use of that instrument but some other
consolidation may not be SO fortunately
situated. It is, moreover, salutary to
have such men as Mr.. Hill learn that
there is law in this country and that
there Is a power to force them to keep
within it. If the tendency to central
ization were not checked once in, a
while, and corporate power not re-
minded occasionally that there is a
still greater power in this country
than concentrated wealth, there is no
telling to what lengths selfishness and
ambition and thirst for domination
might lead men Of ability. The gov.
ernor or the president whose duty it
may be to call attention to this fact
may not dissolve the unlawful combi-
nation SO effectually as to defeat it's
purposes entirely, but he is render
ing an invaluable service in calling
back to legal restrictions and the au-
thority of the state the attention of
some who seem to have forgotten that
& there is such a thing, or to hold it in
contempt.
AS shown in detail by an article pub
iished elsewhere to-day. the trade between
I the United States and Canada now
amounts to about $500 000, 900 year, Oh
shout one-twelfth the entire foreign trade
suit Of proximity is seen in the size OF
Canadian trade, which is out Of all proper
tion to the population of that country
This trade is even moro important thar
fits relative size would indicate. 1t is 8