Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1904-09-08
Protecting the Trusts.

|
ministration to some semblance of ac-
tivity against the trusts. For months
the Department of Commerce and La
Dor has had large force Of inspectors
investigating the beef trust which the
Department Of Justice about two years
ago discovered was bad trust, in fact
the only bad Industrial trust it could
discover. There is no lack of men or
money to fight the trusts, for the large
army of employees OF the Department
Of Commerce and Labor, not counting
the numerous special attorneys of the
| Department of Justice, with its apprO-
priation Of 100000 is available and
has been for more than two years. The
lack of results is evidence that PreS-
dent Roosevelt is not honestly trying
to stop the depredating of even the one
bad trust that he and Knox selected to
try their hand on. The injunction OBJ
| tanned against the beef trust is evident
| ly worthless. as far as protecting the
| people from its exactiOns is concerned
Since the injunction was obtained
! meat has been higher than before the
legal proceedings were commenced
The trouble with President R0Ose-
welt is that he is trying to run with
the hare-the people-and with the
| hOundS-the trusts.
| Does anyone believe THAI if the
President was really intent on stopping
the plundering of the people by any Of
the great predatory trusts, that under
his orders the Attorney General could
not find way to do it and do it quick
ly? Only two efforts have been made
| to protect the people and those in only
a half-hearted way. AS long as Knox
was Attorney General, nothing else
| could have been expected, for his Sc
lection by the great trust magnates Of
| Pennsylvania to succeed Quay in the
United States Senate is positive evil
dence that the trusts feel very kindly
to him for his forbearance and reward
ed him accordingly
If President Roosevelt was really
intent on bringing a few sample big
trusts to book, how easy and quickly
trust, but the coal trust, the Standard
Oil trust, the steel trust, the sugar
trust, in fact any Of the big bad trusts
would soon cease their plundering as
far as combining and restraining trade
is concerned if the following section
Of the antitrust law was enforced:
Section 2. Everyone who shall mon
Opolize, or attempt to monopOlize, or
combine or cOnspire with any other
person or persons, to m0nOpoliZe any
part of the trade or commerce among
che several States, or with foreign ma
tons, shall be deemed guilty Of a mis-
demeanor and on conviction thereof
shall be punished by fine not exceeding
$1,000, or by imprisonment not exceed
ing one year, or by both said punish
ments, in the discretion of the court"
The whole law will be found in the
Goth volume of the United States Stat
utes at Large, page 200, and can be
examined at any law library 1t ere
ated seven different crimes relating to
interstate, foreign or territorial Sade
or commerce, punishable by penalty
not exceeding $1,000, or one years i'm
prisonment, or both, by providing that
every person who shall make o. a con-
tract in restraint Of such trade, or C2)
engage in combination in form of a
trust or otherwise, OF (3) in a con-
spiracy in restraint of such trade, or a.
monopolize, or % attempt to monopo-
lie, or Co combine, or ca conspire to
monOpolize such trade shall be guilty
of a misdemeanOr, to be punished as
stated.
There would be no delay in gather
ing evidence against at least two
trusts The evidence against the beef
trust and the coal trust is in the
archives of the Department Of Justice,
and the names of those who could be
summoned as witnesses are also
known.
The advantage of proceeding under
Section of the antitrust law is that
the United States Courts are always
open to criminal prosecution, and the
trust magnates could be indicted and
tried without delay.
Trust magrates in JAIL with the
fear Of further prosecution, would at
once break up their unlawful combina-
tons. There would still remain the
protection they receive under the
Dingley tariff law, which prevents
competition from outside and allows !
them to plumber the consumers through |
high prices. OF course no relief can
be expected from Roosevelt from that !
source. He believes with the Repub-
lican majority in Congress, and as the
Republican national platform declares:
1--WE insist upon the maintenance of |
the principles Of protection"
There you have it Protect the trusts |
and corporations In every way. Pro |
tect the trust magnates from the law,
especially made to punish them. Pro |
lection to the few at the expense of |
the many is the Alpha and Omega Of
modern Republicanism.
The White House Reorganized.
L.