The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1904-09-30
PROSECUTING TRUSTS.
No Results to Consumers From
Steps So Far Taken.
OOMBNEs UsEFUI I'M OAMPAIaNs

Evidence Against Them Might BE
Held ny a ciub-This Mcthod Has
Been successsuI Ola Previous occn-
siOns.
The exposure Of the anthracite coal
trust methods through the investiga
tIon by the Interstate c0mmcrco COM
mission shows exactly what IS claimed
by the Democrats Thai there Is a con-.
spiracy IN constralnt OF trade between
the railroads md tile coal companies.
This Investigation has not been car
ried on ~ the administration, but by d
suit at law commenced by a Democrat
of national reputation who when the
coal trust refused q exhibit rs books
carried the case 70 ire Supreme court
of the United states. which decided
against the trgsI
This victory for the people shows
what President Roosevelt and Attor-
ney General Knox M @M have done to
curb the uusus II they had In good
faith desired t. 20 go. Instead of pros
ecuting tie trusis HndFr tire criminal
section Of the antitrust law 4 half
hearted equity proceeding for an in
junction agaigst tae beef gusf Is the
only legal step that has been taken
against the Industrial trusts to punish
or restrain them
The beef trust Barons have paid no
more attention to the Injunction than
IL it had never been ISSUED aud still
control not only Tie principal cattle
markets but dictate tie price OF meat.
The lower branch of congress under
the whip and spur Of popular indigna-
ton ordered tie Department OF com
merce and Aber To Investigate the cat
tie and beef combines, bet although
weeks have passed, and no doubt Sec
rotary Corte you Is agdently pressing
TIE investigation. il d0ca NOT appear to
have had any deterrent eject upon the
rapacity 81 tfe conaine Ii may be
that the ardu2us lab0as OF Nh. Cortel-
you in aiding President Roosevelt to
arrange the details Of the coming Re
publican campaign have prevented eli.
ther Of them from paying much atten-
ton to curling 4 trust, which even the
administration admits is d bad one
1t has been suggested that tie rea-
son President Roosevelt has selected
Secretary 1ortelyou to manage his
campaign was that the evidence he
has obtained against tie trusts could
be used rs club to maize them come
down to the great advantage Of the
Republican campaign fund. That
would be no new plan for it is charged
that Congressman Babcock threatened
the steel trdst with antagonistic legis-
lation unless that giant combine made
donation to the campaign fund Of
1902, when it WAS much needed
If the coal tiust, the beef trust and
the other reputel bad trusts had been
perslstently proceeded against by the
administration and results obtained
by forcing them to sell their products
at reasonable prices the suggestion of
their connecting with the campaign
fund iii lieu Of prosecution would have
no weight But the fact that no trust
or combine has been exposed by the
administration and that a private citi-
zen has had to bear all the expense Of
forcing the evidence of the manipula-
tions Of the coal trust into public view
certainly allows a sinister construction
to be put upon the lack of energy in
prosecuting the trusts by President
Roosevelt and his department of JUS
tice.
Natural Mistake.
II was just telling our friend here.
Molly. that il was storming on the day
of our marriage
surely not Hiram The weather
was perfectly lovely"
tfXEyoU vrvollf don't lruovr hcsxv oct