Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-09-18
mfsNiS HUsf $Ef6k
n ,nnntinuad.. nron pare Txn(

the case OF corporations controlnng
q largo percentage Of the product
which are not necessary In the case
of smaller corporations. Probably
not one per cent Of the corporations
engaged in interstate commerce
would be required to take out u
scense under this plan-possibly not
one-haH of one per cent-and yet
what a protection the remaining nine
ty.nine per cent would find in a law
requiring license in the case OF the
larger ones
The license, however, would not
prevent the growth of the corpora
tons licensed. 1t would simply bring
them under the eye of the federal
government and compel them to
deal with the public in such a way
as to afford the public the protec-
ton necessary. One of the restric-
lions suggested is that such hcens-
ed corporations be compelled to sell
to all purchasers in all parts OF the
country on the same terms, after max
ing due allowance for cost OF trans
portation. Mr.. Taft attacks this re-
striction as utterly impracticable.
He says: IF it can be shown that
in order to drive out competition,
corporation owning a large part OF
the plant producing an article is
selling in one part of the country,
where it has competitors. at low
and improbable price, and in anoth-
er, part of the country, where it has
none, at an exorbitant price, this
is evidence that it is attempting an
unlawful monopoly and justifies con-
yiction under the antitrust law"
II such an act is now unlawful, why
is he so frightened at plan which
gives to the small competitor this.
very protection? The trouble with
the present law is that it does not
restrain the evils at which it is aim
ed. The plan proposed in the demo-
cratic platform brings the corpora
ton under the surveillance Of the
government when it has reached
the danger point, and thereafter
subjects it to federal scrutiny. The
present la W simply prohibits it in
an indefinite sort Of way, and then
leaves the officers of the law to
scour ten country and hunt up
violations of the laws provisions.
Mr.. Taft is unduly alarmed at this
proposal, or else he entirely fails
to comprehend the details of the
plan. He says:
"To supervise the business of cor
porations in such a way as to fix
the price of commodities and CON-
pei the sale at such price is as alb
surd and socialistic a plank as was
ever inserted in a democratic po-
litical platform"
And yet this sentence is found in
the same paragraph with the SEN
tence above quoted in which he de-
clares that it is even now a viola.
ton of the Sherman antitrust law
for a corporation to attempt to de-
stroy competitor by selling at a
low and Improbable price where it
has competition, and at an exor-
bitant price where it has no compe-
tition. In what respect is our plan
more socialistic than the plan which
Mr.. Taft endorses? Merely n the
fact that ours can be enforced. Ac-
cording to Mr.. Taft's logic, a plan
Is not socialistic which is not ef-
fective, but the same would be So
cialistic if made effective. Why
should corporation supplying twen-
ty millions of people-for a corpora
ton controlling twenty-five per
cent Of the total product supplies one
fourth, or more, Of our population -
should such a corporation be permit
ted to sell at one price in one part
Of the country and at another price
In another part? What reason can
corporation have for such discrimi-
nation? Prices are not made as a
matter of favor; when a big corpora
ton sells to the people Of one Sec
ton at one price and the people Of
another section at another price
tho cost Of transportation being TAX
en- into consideration-there is-a rea.
son for It, and In almost every case
the reason Is, 70 be found In the
effort to destroy a competitor. One
Of the most familiar methods Of the
trust is to underssl, a small compel.
. itor In the small competitors terri
tory-the price being maintained
selsewhere-until the small competi
tor Is driven to bankruptcy ant
then the price Is raised. That has
been done over and over again. II
Is open and notorious; and yet, will
the republican party in complete pow
or at Washington, what effort has
been made to prevent this. This