The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-01-04

70 the consumer and at the same
time used its autocratic power to put
down the price of the product grown
by the armer Some North Carollil-
ians-indeed not a few-haVe felt IN
clined to be blind to the eNtortlons ana
illegal practices Of this trust because
SO many clever North CarollnIans are
connected with it in all departments
and because some of the officers nave
given large sums to ~educatlon. All
trusts look alike to me-" however, IS
the feeling of those people whose wal
is upon the unlawful practices ana
not upOn individuals. It is no easy
matter to dissolve that unlawful trust
that has entrenched itself by methods
alike repulsive to the doctrine OF
live and let live" and to the law OF
the land. 1t would have been easier
to have prevented the growth OF this
outlaw of commerce., thus preventing
the robbery of farmers and destruc-
ton of independent concerns. But be-
cause it has become big and powerful,
there is all the more reason to dissolve
it. Unless the Government can do
this, the Monopoly is bigger than the
Government.
While Mr.. Roosevelt was President,
! after the facts had been insistently
called to his attention, he caused a
suit to be commenced against the to-
bacco trust for violation of the Sher-
man antitrust law. 1t had VIGOROUSLY
violated that act, as well as the com
non law, every day since it began to
crush competition and fix the price
of the farmers tobacco. The strange
thing is that it had sufficient influence
to daily violate the criminal acts with
out being troubled by prosecution.
Special agents obtained evidence n
the Circuit Court adjudged the trust
to be an illegal corporation, guilty
of violating the Sherman antitrust
law. Only a 1.-THE of the evidence that
could have been secured was used
and the evidence presented as to rob
bing the farmers was only an hum
dredth part of what might Y been
presented. The trust, after convic-
ton, appealed to the Supreme Court,
and the case is to be argued in that
tribunal this week.
What crime has this trust been
guilty of? In the brief of 228 pages,
presented by the Acknowledgement
and his special assistant, j. =. Me-
Reynolds who tried the case and won
victory in the Circuit Court, the crimes
are clearly set forth. A synopsis of
this brief has already appeared in
these columns but the following quota
lions show the disregard of fairness
and law that has characterized this
trust:
I. "UnlaWful conspiracy
2. "PerSistcntly exercised duresS.'
3. "Practised wicked and unfair
methods"
4. Used their great power in OPP
presSive way
5. "Fixed purpose to destroy com
petition and obtain monopolies.'
&. "UHduly restricts h business OF
those in the trade"
Z. prevents Others from entering
the tobacco business
3. substantially all established
jobbers in New England were induced
: to throw out independent products, as
were those OF Philadelphia, New York
and many other places"
8. Guilty Of resOrting to bush
5 Whacking' i'll the use OF union labels,
and this method is characterized as
.iniUuitOuS'' and one such as is inhibit.
, ed by "a civilized conscience"
. 10. The record contains much evi-
dcnCe and a vast deal Of correspond.
r encc concerning the operations OF
these buShVyhackinG companies which
z disclose amaZing depraVity and shows
i with cicarneSS how these sinister
agencies were effectively utiIizeu.''
II. "Competition has beer per
. Sistentiy d~estrOyed.'
u IL. "Scores OF contracts have retiret
5 skilled men from the trade"
q t+\31nV EpXn hoDn fnnon<I <,t an.
the necessary result of the plan Ion,
favored has been to give defendant
, power to exclude others and cxcrcis,
MONOPOLY
Is ii. The advertising methods AS
means Of influencing public opinion
ten million dollars being spent III tin
way alone in 1906"
Is. The very existence of certain
defendants is criminal. and they Ger
' tainly cannot rigiitfuily complain be
.1,sSn pnCt "a 1o1 Rao,, nn -,