East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-08-31


annually, the language of the statute
ought to be changed, for nothing is
more calculabe to breed anarchy than
the failure to enforce the law against
rich criminals while it is rigidly en-
forced against petty offenders.
Easy Evasion OF Present Laws.
But it is not sufficient to enforce
existing laws. II 10 corporations con-
spring together in restraint of trade
are threatened with punishment, all
they have to do now is to dissolve their
separate corporations and turn their
property over to new corporation.
The new corporation can proceed to
do the same thing that the separate
corporations attempted, and yet not
violate the law. We need, therefore,
new regulations and the republican
party not only fails to effect such seg-
islation, but fails even to provide.
The democratic party must be preapr-
ed to propose new and efficient legis-
llation.
1t is worth while to consider wheth-
er blow may not be struck at the
trusts by a law making it illegal for
the same person to act as director or
officer Of two corporations, which deal
with each other or are engaged in the
same general business.
A still more far-reaching remedy
was proposed by the democratic plat.
form of 1900, namely, the requiring of
corporations to take out a federal IL
cense before engaging in interstate
! commerce.
Tariff Kin to Trusts.
The tariff question is very closely
allied to the trust question and the
| reduction of the tariff furnishes an
easy means of limiting the extortion
which the trusts can practice.
While absolute free trade would not
necessarily make a trust impossible,
still it is probable that very few mani
ufacturing establishments would dare
to enter into the trust if the president
were empowered to put on the free
list articles competing with those con-
trolled by trust.
The railroad question is also inter-
woven with the trust question. Nearly
all the private monopolies have re-
ceived rebates or secured other ad-
vantages over competitors. Absolute
equality of treatment at the hands of
the railroads would go far toward
Gripping the trusts and 1 rejoice that
the president has had the courage to
press the question upon congress
While the law, as it was finally dis
torted by the senate Is not all that
could be wished, 1t deserves fair
trial.
f, About Railroad Ownership.
Believing, however, that the opera
! tien of all the railroads by the federal
government would result in a central
ization when would all but obliterate
state lines, prefer to see SSi,s Sii,y tncv
trunk lines operated by the federal
government ana me i."a. ". mes oper-
ated by the several state govern.
ments. Some have opposed this dual
ownership as impracticable, but in
vestigation has convinced me that II
is entirely practicable,
Entirely Practicable.
Nearly all the railroads of Germany
are owned by the several states, the
empire not even owning the trunk
lines, and yet the interstate traffic il
in no wise obstructed. In travelling
from Constantinople to Vienna one
passes through Turkey, Bulgaria, Ser
via, Hungary and a part of Austria
without change of cars, and yet each
country owns and operates it's OWE
roads and different languages are
spoKen on the different divisions OF
the line. Sweden and Norway eacr
own itg railroads, but they have nC