The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1908-09-03

trusts. There Is no easier way OF STU
fling competition than to make one
board OF directors serve for a num-
Der OF competing corporations. II
Is not necessary for corporations to
enter into an agreement for the re-
straint OF trade II the corporations
can, without violating the law. reach
the same end by electing the same
directors.
The second remedy is one upon
which desire 10 dwell at some
length. We believe II TO be a simple
complete aud easily enforced rem
edy. As stated In the platform It is;
"A license system which will,
without abtldgipg the right OF each
state to create corporations, or It's
right to regulate as It will foreign
corporations doing business within
It's limits, made It necessary for
manufacturing or trading corpora
ton engaged in interstate commerce
to take out a federal license before
II shall be permitted TO control as
much as 25 per cent OF the product
In which IL deals. the license TO pro-
tect the public from wstered stock
and to prohibit the control by such
corporation of more than so per cent
OF the total amount Of any product
consumed In the United States"
II will be noticed, in the first place
that care was taken by those who
drew the platform 10 provide that
there should be no abridgment Of
right OF a state 10 create corpora
lions, or OF IT'S right 10 regulate as II
will foreign corporations doing busl-
ness within It's limits. This plan,
therefore, does not in the least in
fringe upon the right OF the states to
protect their own people. It simply
provides for the exercise by congress
of the power vested in II to regulate
interstate commerce. As long as a
corporation confines itself to the
state in which II is created congress
can not interfere with It; but when
the corporation engages in interstate
commerce, congress is the only pow
er that can regulate its interstate
business.
In proposing the exercise OF this
power, Democratic platform is not
asserting new doctrine. In jan
uary, 1895, Republican house of
representative adopted a resolution
calling upon Hon. Judson Harmon,
then attorney general of the United
States, now the Democratic candi-
date for governor In Ohio, to report
what steps, II any, had been taken
to enforce the law Of the United
States against trusts. combinations
and conspiracies In restraint Of trade
and commerce, and what further leg
islation was. In his opinion, needed
to protect ten people against the
same. On the Sth day OF February
he submitted reply, in which he
described the steps which were be-
ing taken to enforce the law, and re-
commended the enactment OF further
legislation. call special attention
TO the following words:
Congress may make 1t unlawful
to ship from one state to another,
In carrying out, or attempting to car
ry out, the designs OF such (state)
organizations, articles, produced,
owned or controlled by them or any
OF their members =. agents"
His recommendation embodies the
very idea which our plan now pro-
poses to carry out We want to
make 1t unlawful for corporation to
b use the instrument OF interstate COM
merce for the carrying out of mo-
nopolistic purpose. Surely no party
can consistently claim to be opposed
E to private monopollss which will
> permit the interstate railroads to be
used to carry out the designs of a
monopoly or which will permit the
interstate telegraph lines to be used
= to increase the power of a private
monopoly; or, to make the case
stronger, no party can consistently
claim to be opposed TO the trusts
which will allow the mails OF the
United States to be used by the
trusts as an agency for the extermi-
nation of competition. Congress has
: already exercised this power to ex.
terminate lotteries. Why not exer-
else 1t to make private monopolles
J impossible?
II II 10 conceded that congress has
the power to prevent the shipment OF
goods from one state to another
when such shipment is part OF a
conspiracy against trade and com
merce then the only question is as to
to the means to be employed to pre-.
ven such shipment. The license sys-