The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-05-09

Illegal and void, so that It's efforts
along this line have now ceased. This
move was a. bold one because In vio.g
latton Of law and foolish one: be-
cause new factories could have been
built to take the place or those p,ir-.
chased. 1t shows to what extreme
measures the Bell company will resort.
to in the vain attempt to obtain the
exclusive control OF the telephone bust
ness OF the country.
IL 1t will he noticed that in both eases
the court held that the attempted pnr-
chase Of these two large Independent
telephone manufacturing plants not
only. tended to destroy competition
and create. a MONOPOLY IN the te1e-
phone manufacturing business but In
directly tended to destroy compett.5
ton and create a monopoly in the Bell
company Of telephone service through
out the United States or parts thereof
and that said ATTEMPTED purchases
were therefore. illegal and void. 4
Its new and latest plan to regain the
telephone situation Is equally unlaw-,
full and must result In failure. tits to
purchase independent exchanges or
to inllice independent telephone COM
panies to merge. consolidate or conl-
bine with it or to make physical con-
nection with It's wires and systems
and to become its ssublicensees. All
such combinations. MERGERS and agree
ments that tend to stifile or destroy
competition and TO create n mononolv
are in violation OF law and void and
subject those, participating therein to
punishment. That these comp.na-t
tfons. mergers ana nereemnts 10
stiffle or destroy competition and tend
to create monopoly is evidenced by
the fact that the very purpose and rea-
son given for such arrangements by
Its advocates. IS. that competition may
be removed and a monopoly created.
claiming that all duplication and eco
nomic waste! will be eliminated and
the telephone companies viii profit
thereby. And as an ''inducement" to
procure independent telephone COM
panies to enter into such combine
tions and agreements that company
has threatened to introduce competl-
ton into cities and towns where no
competition exists and offered to re-
move its competing exchanges In cit
les and towns where both systems are
In operation. Influenced by fear in
some instances and by gain In 9TH
ers. a few of such unlawful combina-
tions, mergers and agreements have
been entered into with the, Bell com.
pnny by independent companies and
these instances are boastfully given
publicity by even the high officials of
that company. That these last efforts
will prove equally disastrous to the
Bell company, have no doubt. + 81
Unlawful Combination and Mergers.
There is no reason why telephone
companies should be permitted to vic.
late the law with impunity any. more
than railroads, telegraph companies.
banks. gas or water companies pa.
per or tobacco companies. or other
corporate organizations. either pub
lie or private should be allowed to-
do SO. The law should be no respec-
tor OF persons. or interests. and 1t
matters not whether the company Is
an independent telephone company or.
Bell telephone company. its duty 10
observed the law should be equally
required and II violated the punish.
ment should be impartially inflicted.
AS a foreign policy, we ms. nation
are In favor OF the open market: us
m internal or domestic policy We are
opposed to monopoly and in favor OF
fair and unrestricted trade. The prin-
ctples OF this policy so universally
demanded by the people have been
embodied in an Act of Congress en-
titled IAN act to protect trade and
commerce against unlawful restraints
and monopolies" passed and approved
July 2, 1890. and commonly known as
the sherman Act" This law was
successfully applied In the Northern
Securities Case, desolying one of the,
greatest and most sklllfully devised.
trusts In the country and lis now $be-l
Ing invoked against the oppressive
paper trust. This act max es3 unlawful
Every contract, combination In tho
form OF trust or otherwise. Oh con:
splracy In restraint of trade or com;
merceS among the 4 several States: Or
territories Of the Union land makeas
crimina1ly liable person who