The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-01-12


the party pledges. "a majority Of
the Democrats IN the Legislature
Iof 1909 voted for either the Lock
hart or Koonce bills, showing that
majority of the Democrats pre-
ferred a better bill than the a..
mendments In the Blow Bassett5
substitute, whereas the Repubi-l
cans in both bodies voted almost
soidly for the Blow Bassett sub
stitute. In the Senate, majority
of the Democrats and all the Re
publicans voted for the bill that
| passed, but a majority of the De-
mocrats in the General Assembly
recorded themselves as In favor
of a stronger law. There was dis
tinct disappointment by the advo-
Gates of the Lockhart and the
Koonce bills then that the Govor-
nor did not throw himself and
all the power of his administra-
ton for the strongest measure in
stead Of accepting the Blow-Bas-
sett substitute. He doubtless
thought that it was better to have
the substitute than nothing feeling
perhaps, that the Senate Of 1909
like that of 1907, would not pass
an effective measure. The result
Eof the passage of the Blow-Bas-
sett act shows that it would have
| been better if no act had been pas.
sed in 1909 at all, for under it, as
we read in the Governor s message
There have been only 1.-TWO pro-
i secutions instituted. " Mind you
instituted Nobody has been
convicted and there has not been
even a suggestion of prosecuting
| the tobacco trust our own home
[robber trust The Governor thinks
that sill-advised declarations that
the law is Ineffective have dis
couraged efforts to enforce it. =
| He says the law is strong and
Iclear,'' and that it is forceful and
enforceable - If he is right, why
have there been no results? Again
he says that, though the law is
strong and clear" it has not had
the benefcent effects which its adj
lyocates anticipated. !" This is an
admission that the law has failed
There is mo doubt that some adj
vocates of the law were honest in
the belief that it would have be
Inefficient effects" but when all the
Republicans and all the pro-trust
men favored its passage two years
ago this paper declared they
would not have done so if they had
not been as certain the amend.
ments were worthless as against
the tobacco and other favorite
trusts as the Act of 1907 was
;. shown to be. Whenever Republi
cans in North Carolina and vel
known trust defenders are ready
to accept an antitrust act, it j:
well not to trust the Greeks bear
ing gifts. When it was observed
two years ago that they were vel
. satisfied with the bill that becam,
law most earnest advocates io-
applying the Texas or Missouri
| medicine to trusts were convinced
that all the teeth had been drawn
from the law, certainly so far al
: the power to masticate the tobac
, co trust was concerned. After TIN
: Legislature adjourned this pape
4 expressed regret that the sub
9 stitute or subterfuge or pink tei
, statute had been given the peopl
: because it thought the people VIII,
e had asked for bread had been Civ
e en- stone, but it declared that tn
t real test of the law was not any
/ body's opinion, but that it mus
l be judged by it's fruits If tn
e law reaches and Furnishes trusts,
: we declared, this paper will de
: clare it was wrong and publicl,
2 admit its error; if, however, nc
!, body is punished and trusts keeI
s on their lawlessness without pun
r ishment, it will be proved that tn
! law is failure. The fact that tn
t Governor proposes many amend
e ments to the law of 1907 as amend
: ed by the Act of 1909 and say
lit has not had the benefcent Ell
: feet which it's advocates anticipat
) ed' is sufficient proof that the me
e who in 1909 opposed the act tina
e passed and called it a pink tie
d j affair" were right and those VIII
n declared it would punish trust
e were wrong. The amendments RI
5 commended by the Governor ar
/ along the right line and should b
e put into the antitrust law tina
d is to be enacted,
e 1t is better to wipe all the Sta
q tuteS from the hooks and hav