Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-10-24

the interests OF the people demand.
would the number of trusts have mul,
ttplied so rapidly? Not only would
the trusts doing business have been
put out of business. but men would
not have put money into new trusts
II they had believed that the law
against trusts aud against persons
guilty OF combining would be vigorous
~ enforced.
submit that by the test Of punish
Ing lawbreakers and deterrng others
from v!oldtin. the law--ihc eternal
and true test the execution of the
antitrust laws by the federal govern.
meni IL Il failure: and that the exist.
encc and iiouriShng condition Of the
very trusts you have prosecuted con.
vinces the people that the trusts are
superior to law. or as Woodrow VIII
son. president of Princeton university.
said last week:
The most striking fact about the
actual organization of modern society
Is that the most conspicuous. the most
readily welded. and the most forinida
bic power Is not the power of the gov
eminent. but the power of capital. Men
OF our day In England and America
have almost forgotten what Il is to
fear the government. but have found
out what II is TO fear the power OF
capital, to watch II with jealousy and
suspicion, and trace 10 il the source
II every open or hidden wrong"
submit that the collection OF fines
from trusts aggrcgating million dol
lars. II you had collected 50 much.
which has not been done, would he no
punishment worth the name Of pun
ishment TO the 2S7 trusts with an ug-
gregate capitalization OF $6.9T2 las
Sjl.OO. The filming process IN trust
prosecution Is analogous To those fines
imposed by II police justice upon per-
sons keeping Illegal resorts IN towns.
These fines often operate MS Slidin
scale of license Iax-So NAV dollars
whenever the aroused moral sense Of
the community will no longer he silent
while the lawlcss dive debauchcs the
people. What the people wish to know
Is this: How many trusts have yon
compelled 10 dissolve-in truth. and
not merely to officially dissolve, and
then continue to fix the price. as the
dissolved paper trust has DONE lNe
meat trust paid fine and soon put NJ
the prices of all that men must eat by
some now yousee-it dnOw- you.don't
slcight Of hand that seems To escape
further prosecution while continuing 10
ley! tax upon all the people No
prosecution of the trusts Is effective
that is not felt by the public in re-
leving them OF trust imposition in
what they buy. Your department says
the paper trust was prosecuted and
dissolved but the publishers know that
the mills In the trust have a combina-
ton now as injurious 10 them aS before
your prosecution You say you have
prosecuted the tobacco trust. hut that
trust has put up the price Of the manu-
featured product il sells and put down
at will tie price OF the raw material
II buys from tho farmer. You do not
claim. believe. to have ever even in
sttutcd proceedings against the steel
trust. and only last year. in tho teeth
OF the law, your department ~. ui"Sccd
In the complete monopoly Of that giant
Of trusts when il took over the only
large company able TO compete with
1t IN any line Of production.
Ii your department in seven years
has prosecuted nineteen civil and
twenty-five criminal eases. in which
no trust official has been Jailed and no
trust rohbing the people has been com
PEELED 10 take its grasp from the throat
OF free competition while 323 new
trusts have been born during the Me
Klnley and Roosevelt Rcpuhl can adj
mnistrations. how long nj this rate of
progress will 1t take the Republican
administration TO stop the cXtoriion OF
PSI trusts that fatten by taxing the
people! That Is the question that the
voters are propounding and IL Is IA
question which the department Of jus
iice should answer.
am. sir
Yours very respectfully.
LSignedI