The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-08-31

needed to be eradicated
Before any intelligent action
taken against the trusts VIC 'an oe
have definition of a trust poo must
no corporation has an absolute ans
complete monopoly of anv imro.. aug
product the apologist for tha 'at
insists there are in reality no tr nus'
otners insist it is impossible 70 ,os
lslate against such trusts as NAV
ISL without doing injury to legitim...
business. For the purpose Of me
discussion it is sufficient to draw as
line at the point at which CONN.,, e
tlon ceases to be effective and d..
ignate as a trust any corporation
which controls so much If ~.
production Of any article that il ons
NIX the terms and conditions of sale
Trust Legislation.
Legislation which prevents mo
nopoly not only does not iniure Ia
ultimate business, but actually nro
tects legitimate business from ininrv
We are indebted to the younger Roci,
efeller for an illustration which male,
this distinction clear. In defendin,
the trust system he is quoted as cav
Ing that the American beauty can
not be brought to perfection witbou,
pinching off ninety-nine buds 81 that
the one-hundredth can receive tbe
full strength Of the bush, so great
industrial organizations are limos.
sible without the elimination Of tho
smaller ones. 1t is a cruel illustra.
ton, but presents a perfectly accur-
ate picture of trust methods.
The democratic party champions
the cause of the ninety-nine enter
prises which are menaced-they must
not be sacrificed that one great com.
bine may flourish, and when the sub.
ject is understood we will receive
the cordial support of hundreds Of
thousands of business men who have
themselves felt the oppression of the
trusts, or who, having observed the
eject of trusts upon others, realize
that their safety lies not in the fu-
tile attempt at the restraint of the
trusts, but in legislation which will
make private monopoly impossible.
Won't Quarrel Over Remedies.
There must be no mistaking an is
sue and no confusion of the line Of
battle. The trust, as an institution.
will have few open defenders. The
policy of the trust magnates will be
to insist upon reasonable legisla.
tion," and then they win rely upon
their power to corrupt Legislators
and intimidate executives to prevent
the application of any remedies which
interfere with the trusts.
Our motto must be: "a private
is indefensible and intoler-
able" and our plan of attack must
the total and complete
overthrow of the industry. We need
not quarrel over remedies. We must
show ourselves willing to support any
remedy which promises substantial
advantages to the people in their
warfare against the monopoly. Some
hing is to be expected from the en-
'orcement of the criminal clauses of
he Sherman antitrust law, but
his law must be enforced against all
trusts, not against few trusts, as
1t present, and the aim must be to
mprison the guilty, not merely to
'ecover a fine. What is fine of a
thousand dollars, or even ten thou
'and dollars to trust which makes
hundred thousand dollars while the
rial is in progress? If the criminal
clause is not good enough to be en-
orced it ought to be repealed. II
is too severe a punish
nent for the eminently respectable
,entlemen who rob eighty millions Of
'eople Of hundreds of millions of dol
ars annually, the language of the
tatute ought to be changed, for moth
ng is more calculated to breed an
rchy than the failure to enforce the
gainst rich criminals, while it is rig
dly enforced against petty offenders.
Propose New Legislation.
But it is not sufficient in the ex-
sting laws. If ten corporations con-
piring together in restraint of trade
re threatened with punishment, all
hey have to do now is to dissolve
heir separate corporations and turn
heir property over to a new corpo
ton. The new corporation can pro-
eed to do the same thing that the
eparate corporations attempted, anu
ct not violate the law. We need'
therefore,, new legislation, and the re-
party not only fails to enact
UGH legislation, but even fails 10
rovide it. The democratic part!
1ust be prepared to propose new ahc
fficient legislation.
A still more far reaching remedy
7as proposed by the democratic plat
orm of 1900, namely, the requiring
f corporations to take out federaf
cense before engaging in interstate
The requiring OF a II
ense would not embarrass Legitimate
would scarcely III
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