Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-01-06
INDUS Al CONDITIONS.

The in rial conditions of
the Unite ties at the present |
time are suits Of the energy |
and courS # her people, and
thorough demonstrates what |
grand re- can be accomplish
ed in a publican form Of
governme administered under
the splenC and benefcent prin-
ciples of I Republican party.
Compare t conditions of this
country t. ay with its affairs
when the (, publican party came
into power. During the last forty
years her people have learned to
produce and manufacture every
thing necessary for man, have
regained the home market from
the hands of Europe, and sent
their products to all parts of the
world, have become lending
nation instead of borrowers from
foreign countries, have paid back
the two billion one hundred and
forty million balance Of trade
against them in 1876, the net
balance of trade in favor of the
United States now being over
three billion, five hundred and
eighty-four million, and increas-
ing at the rate of four hundred
millions per annum, resulting IN
an increase of the wealth Of the
country five fold, and so that
labor commands much larger
wages and a greater share of the
profits Of industry than prevails
in any other part Of the world.
During the progress Of this great
evolution in the industrial and
commercial affairs of our common
country and necessarily as a
means leading to these grand re-
suits, Individual effort has given
away to combined effort, the
burden of such enormously large
Undertakings was too great for
individuals to undertake and in
stead great corporations, trade
unions and all kinds of conbina-
tons of capital and labor were
formed, resulting in a net work
of railroads running all over the
country and plentifully supplied
with the largest factories in the
world, all owned by so many
corporations. At first these
various corporations We'd with
each other in healthy competition
to excel in gaining the most
trade. Later came a disposition
among them to form combinations
so as to limit their product, COM
bine to control prices and pre-
vent competition in restraint of
trade. In 1890 a Republican
Congress passed the Antitrust
Law, TO protect trade and COM
merce against unlawful restraints
and monopolies. - Soon after
wards, however, the country
placed President Cleveland in
charge of the nations affairs,
and his At orney- General, Mr..
Olney, gave it his opinion that
the Antitrust Law was uncon.
stitutional and therefore coulo
not be enforced. Later, how.
ever, Republican presidents were
elected and several suits were
brought in the United States
Courts which sustained the Anti
Trust Law. In 1893 the Supreme
Court held illegal and void the
Joint Traffic Agreement entered
into by 81 railroads fixing rates
and fares between Chicago ane
the Atlantic Coast. In 1899 the
United States Supreme Cour
also held void an agreement made
by six corporations on the price
and sale of cast iron pipes ant
agreeing not to bid against eacl
other in 36 states and territories
The court also held void in 189'
a combination Of Ia coal com
panies wherein they agreed no
to sell coal for less than tn
specified price. In 1902 tn
court held void the Beef Trust
composed of the principal buyer
of live stock and chipnnrc n