Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1904-08-26
Protecting the Trusts.


price of beef should stir up the adj
ministration to some semblance or ac-
tivity against the trusts. For months
the Department Of Commerce ana La
Dor has had large force Of inspectors
investigating the beef trust which the
Department of Justice about two years
ago discovered was a bad trust, in fact
the only bad industrial trust 1t 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 it's appro-
priation Of 100000 is available and
has been for more than two years. The
lack Of results Is evidence that Presl-
dent Roosevelt is not honestly trying
to stop the depredating of even the one
bad trust that lie 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 It's exactions is concerned.
Since the injunction was obtained
meat has been higher than before the
legal proceedings We're commenced.
The trouble with President Roose-
welt is that he is trying to run with
the hare--the people-and with the
hOunds-the trusts.
Does anyone believe that 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 1t and do it quick
ly? Only two efforts have been made
to protect the people and those in only
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 few sample big
trusts to book, how easy and quickly
it could be done. Not only the beef
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
n To n,s
combine or conspire with any other
person or persons, to monOpolze any
part of the trade or commerce among
che several States, or with foreign ma
tons, shall be deemed guilty OF 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 Gre
ated seven different crimes relating to
interstate, foreign or territorial s~ada
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 % a CON
tract in restraint of such trade, or CO
engage in a combination in form of a
trust or otherwise, or 81 in a con-
spiracy in restraint of such trade, CT "a
monopolize, or (5) attempt to monopo-
lie, or (6) combine, or ca conspire to
monopoliZe such trade shall be guilty
Of 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 magnates in Jail, with the
fear of further prosecution, would at
once break up their unlawful combina-
lions. 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 irse no relief can
be expected from Roosevelt from that
source. He believes with the Repub-
lican majority in Congress, and as tho
Republican national platform declares
I'VE insist upon the maintenance of
the principles Of protection"
There you have it. Protect the trusts
and corporations In every way. Pro