Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-07
The Attorney General and the Bargain
Counter.

Counter.
New York SUM-
When the venerable Mr.. Hoar arises
in the senate tomorrow to explain his
anti trust bill, and incidentally to pour
vinegar upon the aged Mr.. Cullom's
wounds, we hope he will be good enough
to elucidate section 4, which apparently
very respectable institution affection
ately known as the bargain counter:
EVERY person, corporation, joint
stock company or any other association
engaged in commerce with foreign ma
tons or among the several states, who
shall enter into any contract, combna-
ton or conspiracy, or who shall give
any direction to do any act, for the pur-
pose Of driving out of business any 9TH
err person engaged therein, or who for
such purposes shall sell any article or
product for less than It's fair market
value, or at a less price than 1T is ac-
customed to demand or receive therefor.
in any other place under like condi-
tons shall be deemed guilty of
misdemeanor, and. on conviction
thereof, shall be punished with fine
not exceeding $4,000, or by imprison-
ment not exceeding one year, or by both
said punishments at the discretion of
the court
The great department stores OF all
the American cities do an extensive
business in the way OF interstate COM
merce with customers in neighborins
commemorative. They are, therefore,
brought directly under the superintend-
ence of the attorney general by the
other provisions of Mr.. Hears bill. They
are likewise the very persons or cor
porations that may be expected to incur
the guilt of this new and strange mis-
demeanor namely, the marking down
of articles below the price customariiy
charged for the same at other places.
In order to fasten the crime Of under
selling upon one of these chronic Of
tenders against the fxity of market
prices, and thus to expose the culprit to
fine of $4,000 or a years imprison-
ment in Jail, or both. the only thing
needful would be to establish pur-
pose to drive his competitors out of that
particular business by inducing all the
people in pursuit of bargains to patron
ize his establishment to the neglect OF
others in the same Inc.
The motive of a markdown is some
what difficult thing 10 prove. but the
rivals of the person Or corporation re-
sorting to the practice so dear to the
feminine heart would only have to al
lege an intention to drive them out OF
business. The books and all the trade
methods OF the enterprising misdea-
meanant would therenpop at once be-
come subject to practically limitless IN
QUESTION by federal authority, under
this further provision of Mr.. Hoar S
bi1li
1.-The attorney general of the United
States may at any time require of any
corporation, joint-stock company or
other association SO engaged lin COM
merce, let us say, with suburban pat
rons living in New Jersey or Connecti-
cutl any statement he may think tit IN
regard to the conduct of it's business.
Poor Mr.. Cullom's measure, despised
and suppressed by Mr.. Hoar, went only
so far as to turn over to the tender mer-
cies of the attorney general that extern
sive system Of monopoly created by the
constitution and defined by, the patent
laws of the United States. Mr.. Hoar's
bill puts the great and deservedly pop
ular bargain counter under the super
vision of the same federal authority
The attempt to secure temporary
monopoly of the sale of linen towels or
silk neckties by marking them down
cents below the prevailing prices may
thus become crime which he is called
upon to prosecute.
In the exciting race to be first in at
the death OF monopoly no incident is
more curious than the inversion or per-
version of ideas which has led the VEN
cradle chairman of the senate judiciary
committee to propose this legislation
directly in restraint Of competition-to
make it misdemeauor, under certain
circumstances. to attempt to undersell
a rival in trade.