The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1909-12-03
THE TRUSTS NEXT MOVE

at ot LOUIS, declaring Standard Oil New or
illegal conbnaon within the prohibition of the Sherman Antr
Act has been reported Trust would try get the
amended by Congress escape the effect Of the decree
the chief counsel for the declares there such intention
that until the has been finally by Supreme Court Il
company will consider other OF doing business than th
now in The appeal will suspend the operation the udgmn
as IS the rule in such says the Sacramento Bee
The same lawyer has suggested that should the decision be su
tanned the business Of the very grea
change He points that with the subsidiary compane
row held by the New Jersey corporation distributed among tn
5000 Individual stock in accordance with the decree er
would be nothing in the present prevent giving proe
and cenazng control done with railroads and other in
dsa concerns In any event he says liquidation Of the bust
ness Of the Standard is to be expected
Another report is that the Standard Oil managers have planned
an actual consolidation of ownership Of all the properties they
hold and through constituent companies unlikely
that this viii to pass The Steel Trust organized
such basis and like many other great consultations Of ownership
OF corporate properties regarded beyond the reach Of the She
man Antitrust law
should be understood clearly that Sherman Act was
upon the old common law principle prohibiting combinations
straint of trade and to do with competition appears all
persons companies and corporations entering into
compact Of maintain prices divide territory other
wise check the free operation of
the States
But where individuals corporations actually out to
single corporation thereby creating consolidation ownership
that regarded combination subject operation of the
Sherman Act If otherwise the hundreds of indus
by the Courts
Legally makes difference whether such sales are for cash
or for stock or bonds of the new trust
The plain fact of the matter is that the Sherman little
or no practical yaue may be brought bear upon the
oldsbe trusts such the Standard Oil cannot prevent them
from recognizing ways that it prohibit And probably
Congress could pass valid law prohibiting consolidation Of
ownership extent degree the absence Constitutional
amendment giving it such power Whether such an Amendment
,ould he had is more than doubtful
The has over interstate
that conferred by the authority regulate commerce between the
states Under that constitutional prerogative clearly within
he scope OF the awmang body prohibit anything the nature
combinations in restraint of trade But bounds to the size
capitalization of corporations forbid their ownership Of
an scattered among the States evidently quite another matter
nd no statesman takes the ground tina Congress can drecv do any
hing of the
Bryan seems TO have come the solution the trust
roben than any other public party He long ago
oned out that the of Congress license corpora
ons doing an interstate business affords needed means of
his power constitutional and be denied and virtually in
ndes the destroy if be Thus Congress taxed ont
existence all State banks issuing paper money 1t could not con
itona prohibit State banks issue but accomplished the same
'ect by imposing rate of taxation circulation which no hank
ud pay It could do the thing if necessary in the case Of
usts N
The extent to which Congress should exercise its power of tax
on IN this regard one of expedency rather of principle Bt
1t be desirable to break combinations as the Standard oil
st through the enforcement OF the Sherman Act why should It
be equally desirable to dissolve industrial consultations like
gained to establish monopoes and do away with competition
ID If 50 why not effect this aim through Federal license law?
The St Louis Censor gives the American people something
rth thinking about when Trust Uncle ice is mere -
lreheadnohing than acting chairman for the interests
naugurated the system and made the under which the
eres allow the house to act He the least ndisnensa
to the SYSTEM but the has gone that he is that
esponsibe for this vicious and destructive system which
the house poweress before that privilege which FLINDERS
~, 49, ~ Seii' ne mace It self perpetu- go
M - !, & @ lea' was 10 set up his sys- yer
and silence the house in the beginning Since then # hoe mi
- po"ei' WIN d oIudgeon IN one hand sfs
bunch of rewards in the other the rano 10