The Tupelo journal., 1906-09-07

without mourning The hostility Of the
leaders OF his own party. The thouole IS
that the republican party, Is not In a POSI-
ton to- apply effective and ~thorough-gofng
reforms, because it has built up through
speciat legislation the very abuseS which
need to be eradicated.
Definitions Of a Trust
Before any intelligent action can be
taken against the trusts we must have
a definition of a trust. Because no cor
poration has an absolute and complete.
monouoly of any important product, the
apologists for the trusts sometimes insist
that there are really no trusts. Others
insists that it is impossible to legis!ate
against such trusts as may exist with
out doing injury to legitimate business.
For the purpose of this delusion 1t Is
sufficient to draw the line at the point
where competition ceases to be enectlve,
and to designate as a trust any corpora
ton which controls so much of the prod
net of any article that it can fix the
terms and conditions of sale.
Youna Rockefeller Quoted.
Legislation which prevents. monopoly,
ness, but actually protects legitimate BUS
mess from injury. We are indebted to the
Younger Rockefeller for an Illustration
which makes this distinction clear. IN
defending the trust system he is quoted
as saving that, as the American beauty
cannot be brought to perfection without
pinching off ninety mine buds. so that the
one hundredth bud can receive the full
strength Of the bush, so great industrial
ORGANIZATIONS are impossible without the
elimination OF the smaller ones, ~ rs a
cruel illustration. but 1T puts a perfectly
accurate picture OF trust methods.
The Cause Of tho Ninety-Nine.
The democratic party champions the
cause of the ninety-nine enterprises which
are menaced-they must not os So crincea
| and when the subject is understood we
| shall receive the cordial support OF nun
dreds of thousands of business men VINO
49, l4~rcaIH-na folf tho nnnrQGainn or tne
trusts, or who. having observed the eject
of the trusts upon others. realize that
their safety lies, not in futile attempts at
the restraint of trusts, but in legislation
which will make a private monopoly i'm
There must be no mIstakina Of issues,
| and no confusion Of the line OF battle. h
trust, as an Institution, win have few
open defenders. -.
The policy Of the trust magnates; wifi
and then they win rely upon their power
to corrupt legislatures, and to intimidate
executives, to prevent the application of
any remedies which would interfere with
Our motto must be, "a private monopoly
is indefensible and intolerable.' and our
plan Of attack must contemplate the total
and complete overthrow of the monopoly
Need Not Quarrel Over Remedies.
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 monopoly. Something Is to be ex-
pected from the enforcement Of the GRIM
inal clause Of the Sherman antitrust law,
but this Law must be enforced. not against
a few trusts as at present, but against all
the trusts, and the aim must be to I'M
prison the guilty, not merely to recover a
fine. What is a fine of a thousand dollars,
or even ten thousand dollars, to a trust
which makes a hundred thousand dollars
while the trial is in progress? II the GRIM
inal clause is not good to be enforced, II
ought to be repealed. II Imprisonment Is
too severe a punishment for the eminently
respectable gentlemen who rob eighty
millions Of people of hundreds of millions
of dollars annually, the language Of the
is more calculated to breed anarchy thar
the failure to enforce the law agains'
rich criminals, while it Is rigidly enforced
against petty offenders.
A~dvocates New Legislation.
But 1t is not sufficient to enforce exist
ing laws. II ten corporations ~conspirins
i together in restraint of trade are threat.
4 with punishment, all they have tt
do now Is to dissolve their separate corpo.
ratiOns. and turn their property over t.
a nav corporation. The new corporation
can proceed to do the same thing that .tht
separate corporations attempted. and ye'
not violate the Law. We need, therefore
not only fails to enact such legislation
but all ever to promise 1t. The demo
cratic party must be prepared to propose
new Il efficient legislation.
No Man Can Serve Two Masters.
Recent investigations have brought Il
IN the management Of our large corpora
4, lions has been due to the duplication o
IL directOrateS. A group OF men Organtz
!, or obtain control Of several corpora