Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1904-03-31

follow the decision" and the demo-
Gratis in congress ought to insist that
the attorney general either prosecute
or explain why rich and powerful vio-
vators of the law are given immunity
while poor and obscure violators are
promptly punished. Not only should
the law be enforced against those who
violated it in the merger case, but it
should he enforced against those who
are violating it in the almost innumer-
able trusts. Are not the steel trust,
the coal trust, the oil trust, the beef
trust, the salt trust, the sugar trust,
the cracker trust, the tobacco trust,
the whiskey trust, the harvester trust,
etc, ARE not all of these violating the
Sherman antitrust law? Why are
they permitted to live and prey upon
the country? The democrats should
press the question. If the administra-
ton answers that the decision does not
toach single corporation, but only a
comb nation of interpretations, the
democrats should insist upon new leg
islation covering all private monopo.
lies, whether they operate as single
corporation or as a group of corpora
tions. The Kansas City platform pre-
sents remedy and the merger decis-
ion vindicates the principle involved in
that remedy.
Congress has power over interstate
commerce and that power alone can
deal effectively with the trusts. AS
long as corporation confines itself to
the state from which it derives its
charter the people of that state can be
trusted to deal with it, but when it
crosses the state line and invades in
terstate commerce it comes under the
supervision of congress. Congress has
made it a criminal offense for two or
more people to conspire to restrain
trade. This ought to cover conspiracy
by persons in one corpor alton as we'll
as conspiracy by persons in control of
seperate corporations. If it does not
do so, it is easy to prepare bill that
will. The Kansas City platform pro-
poses measure making it unlawful
for state corporation to engage in in
terstate commerce without first secur-
ing federal license or permit, and it
proposes that the license or permit
shall be granted only after proof that
the stock of the corporation is not wa
| tered and that the corporation is not
trying to monopolize any branch of
business or the production or sale of
any article of merchandise. Here is
simple remedy; remedy easily APP
piled. 1t does not interfere with any
legitimate corporation, but, on the
contrary, aids every legitimate corpor-
alton by destroying the greedy and
constituencies monopolies.
If the democrats expect to win the
confidence of the people they must pro-
pose an effective remedy. 1t is not
sufficient to rail at republicans or to
ask them for remedy. The people
are looking for relief and they demand
positive, aggressive action. The trust
question can be made an important is
sue in the coming campaign if the
democrats will do their duty. Let
them call the attention of the country
to the question by refusing to consider
anything else until satisfactory action
is taken. If the republicans are re-
quired to bring in rule for every
measure and are each time reminded
that the trusts still live, they will be
forced to decisive action or to abjec'
apology. Cato, after visiting Car
thage. resolved never to make a speech
without declaring it as his opinions
that Carthage should be destroyed
The democrats in the senate and house
might we'll paraphrase Cato's famous