The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-06-22
Concerning Trusts.

n called trusts" stood substantial
where II was when the sherman ant
: trust act OF 1890 was passed. pres
: dent Cleveland. In hts last message
Y December 1896, had said:
: Though congress has ATTEMPTED
: deal with this matter by legislatlo
J the laws passed for that purpose IN,
far have proved ineffective. not heeau,
OF any lack Of disposition or atteml
e to enforce them, but simply because N
laws themselves as interpreted by n
courts do not reach the difficulty,
the msuffielencles OF existing laws ca
be remedled by further legislation.
should be done. The fact must b
recognized however that all fedora
legislation on this subject may fal
short of its purpose because of In
herent obstacles and also because o
the complex character OF our govern
mental system, which. while maxim,
federal authority supreme within itl
sphere, has carefully limited tina
sphere by metes and bounds that can.
not be transgressed."
AT every election. the regulation Of
trusts has been the football of cam.
paign oratory and the subject OF many
insincere declarations.
Our republican administration has
taken up the subject In a practical SEN
sible way as business rather than a
political question, saying what Il really
meant, and doing what lay at It's hand
to be done to accomplish effective reeu-
iation. The principles upon which the
government proceeded were stated bv
the president in his message OF De.
cember, 1902. He said:
"A fundamental base OF civilization
Is the inviolability OF property. hut
this Is In no wise Inconsistent with tha
right OF society to regulate the ex-
ercise OF the artificial powers which II
eonfers upon the owners Of property
under the name of corporate franchises
In such a way as to prevent the misuse
OF these powers.
We can do nothing of good In the
way of regulating and supervising these
corporations until we fix clearly in our
minds that we are not attacking the
corporations, but endeavoring 10 do
away with any evil in them. We are
not hostile to them; we are merely
determined that they shall be so
handled as to subserve the public good
We draw the line against misconduct
lot against wealth.
In curbing and regulating the COM
'inations of capital which are or NAV
'ecome Injurious to the public we must
'e careful not to stop the great enter
rises which have legitlmately reduced
ne cost OF production, not to abandon
ne place which our country has won
? the leadership Of the international
Industrial world,( not to strike down
'ealth with the result OF closing fac.
ries and mines, of turning the wage
'orker Idle In the streets and leaving I
ie farmer without market for what S
e grows. ,
oeiieVe that monopolies. unjust {
scriminations. which prevent or Grim /
e competition. fraudulent oyer-capl- b
and other evils in trust or Id
and practices which In 4
rlousiy anect interstate trade, can be a
'evented under the power OF the con-
ess TO regulate commerce with for
sh nations and among the several G.
ates through regulations and REQUIRE c
ents operating directly upon such h
mfherce. the instrumentalities there B
and those engaged therein" c,
A
AFTER long consideration, congress- d.
ssed three practical statutes, on oi
bruary II, 1903. an act to expedjte CT
arlngs In suits in enforcement OF the Fl
u-trust act; on February IA. 1909 B
act creating a new department OF ri
nmerce and labor with bureau Of ri
'porations, having authority to Sc II
re systematic information regarding al
organization and enlarging the tn
"ers OF the interstate commerce ju
and of the courts. to deal CC
n secret rebates In transportation W.
irges, which are the chief means bv an
len the trusts crush out their smaller lul
npetitors. Co
Suits Against Railroads. tn
he attorney general has gone nm T., tht
same practical way, not to talk thu
'ut the trusts but to proceed PEI
inst the trusts by law for their an
uiatlon. In separate suits il or the res
az railroads Of the country have ha
n restrained by injunction from Civ bee
Illegal rebates to the favored shin suC
;, who by means of them were driv- nit
out the smaller shippers and rec
iopolizing the grain and meat busi- civ
OF the country. The beef trust ire
put under Injunction. The officers cor
ne railroads engaged In the cotton car
'ying pool, affecting all that great the
lstry of the south, were indicted and cor
E abandoned their combination. The 900
thern Securities Company which Pal
ertook by combining in one owner con
the capital stocks Of the Northern and
INC and Great Northern railroads
nd traffic competition in the north I
7, has been destroyed by a yigor- eve
prosecution expedited and brought the
SPECIFY ana ehectiYe conclusion in prii
supreme court under the act of cha
ruary II, 1903. The attorney gem we
says: rIot
lere, then, are four phases of the dict
OK on the combinations in restraint pos
rade and commerce-the railroad maj
lction SUITS, the cotton pool cases, side
oeeI trust cases, and the Northern i've;
Irities case. The first relates to the stru
opoly produced by secret and pref com
tial rates for railroad transporta- the
the second to railroad traffic the
ng; the third to a combination ~ our