Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-24

either OF MS administrations. While
the platform on which he was elected
the second time promised much in the
way of antitrust legislation, nothing
was done except to include in the
tariff act Of 1894 a provision rendering
null and void any combination. con-
spiracy. trust, agreement or contra ct
between two or more persons or cOrpor-
atoms engaged IN importing articles
from any foreign country into the
United states intended to operate in
restraint Of trade or to increase the
market price of any imported article
or any manufacture into which i'm
ported articles have entered Their
sole legislation was against combi-
nations of importers, with intent to
put up the price of imported goods. III
no way. shape. or form did they seek
to prohibit Il combination of American
manufacturers. producers, Or trans
portation companies. 1t is needless to
say that no effort has been or ever will
be made to enforce this act, for it is
directed against an ina ginary evil.
Importers may represent foreign trusts,
but they do not combine III this coun-
try to increase the price of their i'm
! ported wares. 1t was intended to
please the people and 1 see 10 reason
to presume that any existing or con-
| templated trust was scared thereby.
| And now | want to refer to the language
| of Mr. Cleveland's explanation for the
sad neglect of his administration as set
| forth in his authorized interview. He
says:
THE question of the Government taking
| legal action against the So-called trusts
was given much consideration during my
| last administration. from 1893 to 1897. !
| recall that 1 examined closely the law
| and received reports from Mr.. Olncy, who
| was then Acknowledgement l was most
! anxious to have something done, but We
were blocked by decisions of the Sill
preme Court, which at that time tied our
hands. The decisions of the SUI
preme Court. as pointed out in my mes
| sage. restricted our action against trusts
unless they were engaged in interstate
| transportation. There was a distinct diff
| ference drawn between railroads and
purely producing combinations. 1t could
rot be said that the sugar trust. or the
| beef trust. CT the Standard Oil Company
was directly engaged in interstate trans
pOrtation."
I think Mr.. Cleveland has overlooked
| the fact that AttorneyG General Knox has
| dt tnlS lllnc an injunction IN 1uil force
against seven corporations. one copartner-
| ship. and twenty-thrce individuals en-
gagged in the production and tranSporta-
| ton of meats and meat products, re-
| Straining them. as the opinion shows,
| from requiring their purchasing agents to
| refrain from bidding against each other
when making purchases: from bidding up
| the price of live stock for Il few days to
induce large shipments, and then ceasing
| to bid so as to obtain live stock ut prices
less than would bring in the regular way;
from agreeing between themselves upon
prices to be adopted by all; from restrict
ing the quantities of meat to lie shipped;
from requiring their agents to impose uni
form charges for carriage, and from max
ing agreements with transportation COM
panicS for rebates and other diScrimina-
ton rates.
OF course this action is based upon the
allegation admitted in the demurrer. thar
these packing concerns are engaged not
only in the production of articles enter
ing into interstate commerce. but that
that concerns are themselves engaged IN
interstate commerce. Admittedly. the
federal government has no jurisdiction to
restrain combinations between individuals
or corporations except such as is derived
under the provision of the constitution.
giving Congress control of interstate and
foreign commerce. Thus. what Mr.. Clevc-
land just last week said can not be done
is an accomplished Fact. and the action
was brought under the Sherman act. Il
Republican measure. promised in u Re-
I'u)ilttii Ill iEtSSctl ny
Congress. signed by Il Republican Pr"si-
dent. and enforced Ivy little giant I'M
der the direction of tho present Republic
can President. And while the case has
been appealed. it stands and holds and
will remain effective until reversed
Nor is this all. nor the most astonish-
ing feature of Mr. Clcvclands interview.
In the closing paragraph he takes no
small pains to explain why nothing was
done during his administration, and. by 50
doing indorscs. in the most emphatic Ian
guagc, what has been done by his success
sOrS. Without admitting the sufiiciency
Of his explanation it is quite gratifying to
have so distinguished a person unquali-
fiedly approve the institution. the prose
cution. and the result of the merger case.
Listen to the cxplana ton he gives for
his own inactivity:
"'There WAS then no opportunity to
take any such action as this merger suit.
The case did not present itself. If con-
tracts existed among these business COM
binations for the restraint of trade. they
were kept secret and no evidence offered
itself on which to act. At that time this
merger of railroads had not been formed,
so that there was no action OF this sort
to take"
How unfortunate it is for so many of
us that opportunities never present them
fore us. and those who come after us.
have great opportunities. OF al mon we
are most miserable. And so Mr. Cleve-
land bcwailS his misfortune, in much the
same tone. il not in the same languag &C.
that Ben King employs:
Jane Jones keeps talkin' to me all the
time.
An says YOU must mako it a rule
To study your lessons nd work hard nd
learn.
An never he absent from school.
Remember the story of Elihu Burritt
An how he clum mp to the top,
Got all the knowledge at he ever had
Down in biacksmithnE shop?
Jane Jones she honestly said it was so,
Mehbe he did
| dunno.
O. course what's akeepin' me way from
the top.
Is not never havin' no blacksmithins
shop"
she said at Columbus was out at the
When he first thought up his big
scheme.
An told all the spaniards nd Italians.
too,
An all of 'em said twas a dream.
But Queen Isabella jest listened to him.
Nd pawned all her jewels o worth.
Nd bought him the Santa Maria I'D said,
Go hunt up the rest of the EARTH
Jane Jones she honestly said it was so,
Mebbe he did
l dunno,
@ course that may be, but then you must
They aiu't no land IN diScovar ;ecf Won't,