La Junta tribune., 1904-11-05
ANTITRUST LAWS.
1hsy Have Bees ksfsresA Whsssvss
Proper Cssss Have Bsea PrssssssA.


Proper Cssss Have Been PssssstsA.
There srs in the United States over
500 industrial trusts and organized mo-
ncpoiies- Their aggregate authorized
capital amount, TO 81. .79s. .54f .32I. such
. stupendoos sum as TO make the petty
ca ptaIist gasp in astoni-hment- But r
is not all tangible; . good deal IL mere
figures. scrstches on paper Many OF the
companies are piaythinss for hn.ncs<rs
who require toys. Others are dummies:
Others comatose affairs. These corpora
tons are born in every State. and STATE
laws are responsible for their cr~atioo-
laws with which the national Eovernment
has nothing to do. and could not have.
unleAs by usurpation: bu; IL does take .
hand when these concerns undertake In
tsrstste transactions in restraint Of trade
OF foreign commerce. 1t 70 nothing
axainss the Republican party that sech
corpora tons have . being; their own
pa arsnts. the States that gave them birth.
are the parties responsible for their
wrong doing in those States No federal
court or onncsr can enforce ehs common
Law Of . State. as for the United States,
there 10 no common Law. a. Mr.. Rocss-
Welt has said. Mr. Parker takes issue
v it'll thIs declaration and dismissss Il
from py sAyihA - - -
question mot to be determined by the
President or by q candidate for the pres
id~ncy." but by the judiciary. and il has
been judiciaily decided that common Law
principle. could be applied in United
States courts iu interstate commercs
cases.
There are United States statutes for
such cases. 80 that Judge Parker's prom
ise to favor such further legislation
within constitutional limitations ~ will
best promote and safeguard the interests
OF the people" is entirely gratuitous un-
less he meditates q repeal Of the laws
already existing. These laws are of Re
publican creation and safeguard the in
ters~ts OF the people 50 far rs State stat
utes will permit. A Republican Con-
sress passed the Sherman antitrust law
aud q Republican President approved IL
July 2. 1850. In 1905 Republican Con-
yress passed and \ Republican Presiden;
approved an act e1pediting antitrust hti-
CATION. In the Appropriation bill for
1903 was a paragraph providing Funds
for prosecuting such suits, and the deh-
cheney bill for the same year authorized
legal aid. The Eikins- Roberts law. pass
eli aud approved in 1905, bore upon this
trust question and was The work OF q
NpuETNss
The government has not nunked in en-
forcing the antitrust laws where pro-
per case could be made out. II knocked
the financial sawdust ou. OF the Northern
Securities Company in 1903. The A.s-
sour beef trust" case in 1903 ended
with heavy fines against the defendants
who were found guilty Of violating the
anti trust Law. In 1902 che Presid-nt
ordered the prosecution of certain Illinois
packers for violating the Sherman anti
trust statute. and a permanent injunc-
ton was, the result. These antitrust
suits are not the justice-of-the-peace az
fairs the Democrats are trying to make
them out 70 be. The government must
he sure II is right and able To carry its
points before it acts; the best legal tai
cut of the country is put up against IL.
and defeat for il would involve ruinous
consequences.
What the 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.