Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-08

antee to the smaller producer protection
against piraticai methods y composition
and keep the highways to- the market eas
open and available to him FOR the same
tolls charged TO his powerful competitor
he VIII manage to i've and thrive to an
astonishing degree.
After this. Mr.. Knox's letter ts for the.
most part disquisition on thes discrinina-
ton practiced by common carriers In fa-z
vor OF the trusts or larger corpora tons
and advice az to remedial legislation In
truth. as Mr.. Knox sees 1t, or appears 70
see It, the discrimination In Question:
the rebate system, is at the Bottom OF
the trust evil. Reach this, be argues,
ana you will sap the power Of the trusts
to oppress. and to strangle comp itioia:s
That the granting Of rebatesfto large.
corporations by common tarriers--that
conspiracy between the latter and trusts.
whereby the Individual and the smaller
corporations are Disseminated against
does obtain. is a matter OF common k1ioWl-
edge and complaint; 1t has been shame.
lessly and defiantly confessed In the case
Of one gigantic trust, and proved ID the
cases OF others although, as Mr.. Knox
says, some OF the higher minded railroad
managers Of the country have exefted;
their large influence in the direction OF
equitable dealing with shippers Of the
territory which they serve Nor is 1t to
be denied that the rebate system is no.
inconsiderable auxiliary Of the trusts.
Therefore, it is desirable that it should
be broken up, and on the whole, Mr..
Knox's suggestions az to legislation to
that end, are to be commended. though
1t is extremely doubtful whether q trust
ridden Republican Congress will act upon
them.
But. granting that Congress wilt be
| guided by the attorney-general, and that
the laws he urges the passage OF will be
enforced. the relief Of the country from
the trust burden would be only partial,
and that partial relief would only come
by slow stages and through long litigation
in individual instances. The chief reliance
and support Of the trusts would still exist.
Certain branches Of the trust tree would
have been Topped off. perhaps, but under
Mr.. Knox's plan for dealing: with the evil,
the root Of It would remain untouched.
The first proposition we have cited from
Mr.. Knox is eminently true. It is also
true. that. broadly speaking. monopo-
~ IN this country would be Inn
possible If competition were assur-
ed fair and open field. No less true is
1t that If the law Will guarantee the
smaller producer protection against pratt
cal methods in competition he will live
and thrive in an astonishing degree. But
regulation OF combina tons Of capital SO
as to prevent the nonopoliza ton OF the
Industrial business Of the country" fair
and open field of competition, and the
guarantee to the smaller producer against
piratica1 competition, cannot be secured
by the methods proposed by Mr. Knox,
except to limited and comparatively un.
appreciable extent. His scheme would
affect only one phase of the problem, and
that. despite the recognized evil it car
ries. Is minor phase contrasted with the
problem in it's entirety. The solution OF
the more grievous phases lies IN tariff re-
vision. and as to that. Mr.. Knox is silent.
So we say that while the country should
not disdain the small favor that might
be embodied in the enactment into law
of Mr.. knox's suggestions, it should not
let such legislation-4or proposed legisla-.
tion-obscure the fact that the uprooting
of Dingleyism is the only cure for the
more vicious Ills the trusts have brought
upon the people. The masses should not
allow the possibility Of Mr.. llnox's rene
dy's proving palliative to cause them to
lose sight of the sure, natural and radi.
cal cure Such a blunder would play
into the hands of the trust interests. and
the Republican party at large-into the
hands Of the latter in connection espeA
cially with the Presidential campaign OF
1904. For nothing is that party more anxi-
GUS than that the tariff issue shall not
be the paramount issue two years hence.
@%--@----st
Justice Leventritt, Of New York, has
declined TO grant the aorlicatit11 made to
him on behalf OF the plaintiff, in the suit
of Stra,,s AGA inst iha American Publish-