Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-11-04
ANTITRUST LAWS.
They Have Beea kaforcsd Wherever
Proper cases Have Bssu Pressated.

There are In the United States over
500 industrial trusts and organized mo-
nopo!ies. Their aggregate authorized
capital amounts TO 81 1885, .:2s. such
q stupsndous sum as TO make the petty
capitalist gasp In astonishment. Hut u
10 not all tangible: u good deal II mere
figures. scratches on paper Many OF the
companies are playthinss for hnanciers
who require toys: others are dummies:
othsrs comatose affairs, These corpora-
tions are born In every State. and State
laws are responsible for their creation
laws with which the national government
iias nothing to do, aud could not have.
unless by usurpation: but II does take a
hand when these concerns undertake In
terstate transactions In restraint OF trade
or foreign commerce. II 10 nothing
against the Republican party that such
corporations have 4 being; their own
parents. the States that gave them birth.
are the parties responsible for their
wrong doing In those States. No federal
court or officer can enforce the common
law OF State: as for the United States.
there Is no common law. a. Mr.. Roose-
welt has said. Mr.. Parker takes Issue
with this declaration aud dismisses u
from his discussion by saying u 10 .
President or by a candidate for the pres
ld-ncy." but by the judiciary, and Il has
been juiicialiy decided that common law
principles could be applied In Cni'e'i
States courts In interstate commerce
cases.
There are United States statutes for
such cases. 10 that Judge Parker's prom.
ise to favor such further legislation
within constitutional limitations a. will
best promote and safeguard the interests
of the people" Is entirely Eratuitous un-
less he m-tifates q repeal Of the laws
already existing. These laws are of Re-
publican creation and safeguard tho In
i-rcsts Of the people - far ~ State stat
utcs will permit. A Republican Con.
Ercsa passed the Sherman antitrust law
aud q Republican President approved II
July 2. 1870. In 1903 Republican Con.
.rcss passed and q Republican Prcsid-n;
approved an act cxpcditin. antitrust hii.
cation. In the appropriation bill for
1908 was . paragraph providing fund,
for prosecuting such suits. and the dcii.
cheney bill for the same year authorized
legal aid. The Elkins- Roberts Law. pass.
ei and approved In 1909, bore upon this
trust question and was Tie work Of .
Republican Congress and President.
The government has not nunked In en-.
forcing the antitrust laws where . pro.
per case could be made out IL knocked
the financial sawdust out Of the Northern
Securities Company In 1909. The MIs.
souri beef trust" case In 1903 ended
with heavy fines against the defendants
who were found guilty Of violating the
antitrust law. In 1907 the President
ordered the prosecution Of certain Illinois
packers for violating the Sherman anti.
trust statute. aud a permanent injunc-
ton was the result. These antitrust
suits arc not the justicc-of the.p-aee af-
fairs the Democrats are tryinS to make
them out to be. The government must
he sure u, Is right aud able To carry Its
points before II acts: the best le:ai tai
cnt Of the country Is put up against II.
and defeat for IL would involve ruinous
consequences.
What ,hc Democrats might do In these
trust matters no one. not even them
selves. can guess: they can't do any bet
ter; they are likely to do worse.