The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-04-02


sage, he denounces combinations OF every
description In language as incorporate and
tnfiammatory as was ever employed by MS
party's more recent candidate for the pres
idency. He says:
"'Their tendency is to crush out indvid-
ual independence and to hinder and prevent
the free use of human faculties and the fun
development of human character
He then discouraged federal legislation
by saying;
1.-The fact must be recognized. however
| that all federal legislation on this subject
may fall short of It's purpose because OF
| the complex character OF our governmental
| system, which, while making the federal
authority supreme In its sphere, has care
fully limited that sphere BY metes and
bounds that cannot be transgressed. The
decision of our highest court on this pre-
else question renders II quite doubtful
whether the evils Of trusts and monopoliei
can be adequately treated through federal
| action unless they seek, directly and pur-
posely. to include In their objects trans
portation or intercourse between states or
between the United States and foreign
| countries
Attacks Trusts Through Tariff.
This. so far as the record shows, Is his
last utterance. official or otherwise. on the
subject OF trusts until he explains. In his
! recent interview, the reason why nothing
was done during either OF his administra-
lions. 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 tarin
| act OF 1894 provision rendering. null and
| void any combination, conspiracy, trust,
| agreement or contract between two or more
persons or corporations engaged In import
Ing articles from any foreign country into
| the United States intended to operate In
restraint of trade or to Increase the mar
ket price Of any imported article or any
manufacture into which imported articles
have entered
Their sole legislation was against COM
binations of importers, with intent to put
up the price OF imported goods In no
way, shape or form did they seek to pro-
hibit a combination OF American manu-
facturers, producers or transportation
companies. m
1T is needless to say that no effort has
been or ever will be made to enforce this
act, for 1t is directed against an imaginary
evil. importers may represent foreign
trusts, but they do not combine In this
country to Increase the price of their i'm
ported wares 1t was intended to please
the people, and see no reason to presume
that any existing or contemplated trust
was scared thereby.
| And now want to refer to the language
OF Mr.. Clevelands 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. re-
call that l examined closely the law and
received reports from Mr.. Olney. who was
| then attorney general. / was most anxious
to have something done, but we were
blocked by decisions Of the supreme court
which at that time tied our hands. Z" I
The decisions OF the supreme court, as
| pointed out In my message. restricted our
| action against trusts unless they were en-
| gagged In Interstate transportation. There
was distinct difference drawn between
railroads and purely producing combina-
lions. 1t could not be said that the sugar
trust or the beef trust or the Standard Oil
company was directly engaged In interstate
transportation
What Knox Has Done.
az think Mr.. Cleveland has overlooked
the fact that Attorney General Knox has
at this time an injunction In full force
against seven corporations, one copart-
nership and 20 individuals engaged In the
production and transportation of meats
and meat products. restraining them, as
the opinion shows, from requiring their
purchasing agents TO refrain from bidding
against each other when making pur-
chases. from bidding up the price Of live
stock for a few days to induce large ship
obtain live stock at prices less than II
would bring in the regular way, from
agreeing between themselves upon prices
to be adopted by all, from restricting the
quantities OF meat to be shipped, from re-
curing their agents to impose uniform
charges for carriage and from making
agreements with transportation companies
for rebates and other discrimination rates.
"Of course this action Is based upon the
allegation admitted in the demurrer that
these packing concerns are engaged not
only in the production of articles entering
into interstate commerce. but that the con-
cerns--are themselves engaged in inter-
state commerce.
What Cleveland Called Impossible.
Admittedly the federal government has
no jurisdiction to restrain combinations
between individuals or corporations ex-
cept such as Is derived under the provision
| of the constitution. giving congress control
of interstate and foreign commerce. Thus
! what Mr. Cleveland just last week said
! cannot be done Is an accomplished fact,
| and the action was brought under the Sher-
man act, a republican measure promised
| in republican platform, passed by re-
publican congress, signed by republican
| president and enforced by a little giant
under the direction of the present repub
lican president. And while the case ha.
been appealed, II stands and holds and will
| remain effective until reversed
! Nor Is this all nor the most astonishin
feature of Mr.. Cleveland's interview. Ii
the closing paragraph he takes no small
pains to explain why nothing was don,
during his administration, and by SO doinl
| indorses in the most emphatic Language
| what has been done by his SUCCESSORS
| Without admitting the sufficiency of hi.
! explanation. 1t Is quite gratifying to have
so distinguished person unquaiifiedly ap.
| prove the institution. the prosecution and
the result Of the merger case. Listen tc
the explanation he gives for his own In.
| activity:
There was then no opportunity to take
any such action as this merger suit. The
case did not present tself. IL contracts
existed among these business Combination
| for the re straint of trade they were kept
secret and no evidence offered itself or
which to act. At that time this merger
| OF railroads had not been formed, so thai
there was no action of this sort to take"
| How unfortunate II Is for so many Of
| us that opportunities never present them
| selves I'm our times. Those who lived be.
fore us and those who come after US have
great opportunities"
JMr. Bryan In hosting the black
flag against every democrat standing Q
show of election and in going forth
after slaughter-cIearly bent upon rule
or ruin--leaves nothing to be doubted
| II Il L. n -