Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-11-23

the acquisition OF the Tennessee Coal and
Iron company's ores In no way changed
the situation as regards making the steel
corporation a monopoly.
Sincere zealots who believed that all
combinations could be destroyed and the
old-tme conditions of unregulated COM
petition restored, insincere politicians
who knew better. crafty reaction
aries who wished TO see on the statute
books laws which they believed unen-
forceable. and the almost solid wall St.
crowd, or representatives. Of big busi-
ness who at that time opposed with
equal violence both wise and necessary
and unwse and improper regulation OF
| business-all fought against the adoption
| of a sane, effective, and far-reachng
| policy.
| at is n vitality necessary thing to
have the persons in control of big trusts
OF the clara cter Of the Standard Oil trust
and tobacco trust taught that they are
under he law, just az II was a necessary
thing to have the sugar trust taught the
same LESSON in drastic fashion by Mr.
Henry L. Stimson when he was United
| states district attorney in the city of
| New York But 20 attempt to meet the
|
| governmental action hut by a succession
of lawsuits, Is hopeless from the stand
point of working out permanently sat
sfactory solution. Moreover, the results
sought to be achieved are achieved only
in extremely insufficient and fra ymentary
measure by breaking mp all big corpora
tons. whether they have behaved well or
! III, into a number of little corporations
| which 1t is perfectly certain will be large
| ly, and perhaps altogether under the
same control
Such action is harsh and mlsChievous
| If the corporation is guilty of nothing
except it's size: and whore az in the case
OF the Standard OIL and especially. the
tobacco trusts. the corporation has been
guilty OF immoral and anti-social prac-
tees, there Is need for far more drastic
and thoroughgoing action than any that
has been taken under the recent decree
OF the supreme court.
A LAMENTABLE RESULT.
I'm the case of the tobacco trust. for
instance. the settlement in the circui,
court. in which the representatives Of the
government seem inclined to concur, prac-
tically leaves all of the companies still
| substantially under the control of the 2!
original defendants. Such result Is
lamentable from the standpoint of Jus.
| tice. The decision of tho circuit court
if allowed to stand, means that the to-
bacco trust has merely been obliged tc
change its clothes. that none of the rea
offenders has received any real punish
ment, while the New York Times, a pro
trust paper. says the tobacco concerns
in their new clothes, are in positions OF
ease and luxury and immune from
prosecution under the law
surely miscarriage of Justice is no,
too strong term to apply to sucr
a result when considered In connection
with what the supreme court said OF
this trust. That great court in its deci.
sion used language which, in spite Of IT.
habitual and severe selfrestraint In slug.
matizing wrongdoing, yet unhesitatingly
| condemns the tobacco trust for mora
| turpitude. saying that the case shows ar
| 'everpresent manifestation Of con.
scious wrongdoing' by the trust, whose
| history is repiete with the doing OF
acts which it was the obvious purpose
Of the statute 10 forbid, demon.
strative Of the existence from the begin.
control of the tobacco trade, not by the
mere aversion of the ordinary right tc
contract and TO trade, but by methods de-
vised in order to monopolize the trade By
driving competitors out Of business, which
were ruthlessly carried out upon the az
sumption that 10 work upon the fears oil
play upon the cupidity OF competition.
would make success possible
The letters from and to various Off
Gals of the trust, which were put In evil
dence. show a literally astounding ant
horrifying Indulgence by the trust II
wicked and depraved business methods
| such as the 'endeavor 10 cause strik,
in their "a rival business frm's) factory,
or the shutting of the market OF an in
dependent tobacco firm by taking thu
necessary steps to give them warm re
ception. or forcing importers into a pr1c
agreement by causing and continuing :;
Generalization Of the business for sucl
length of time as may be deemed de
sirable' q quote from the letters).
trust guilty Of ouch conduct should b
absolutely disbanded, and the only wa
TO prevent the repetition of such conduc
is by strict government supervision, an
not merely by lawsuits
CONCERNING SOME PROGREssIvEs
1.-THE antitrust law cannot meet tn
whole situation. nor can any modihca
ton Of the principle OF the anti-trus
law avail to meet tho whole situation
The fact is that many of the men VIII
{ have called themselves progressives, an
who certainly believe that they are Dro
gressives, represent in reality in this ma,
ter not progress at all, hut e. kind of sin
cere rural toryism. These men believ
> that It is possible, by strengthening tn
I antitrust Law, to restore business to tn
O competitive conditions of the middle G
g the last century. Any such effort is fore
= doomed TO end IN failure and, IL success
: full, would be mischlevous to the last dc
gree
business cannot be successfully cor
! Quoted in accordance with the practice
and theories OF 20 years ago unless W
abolish steam. electricity, big cities, anC
in short. not only all modern business an
: modern industrial conditions. but all tn
=. modern conditions OF our civilization. IN
e effort to restore competition as it was
s years ago. and TO trust for Justice solel
Z 10 this proposed restoration of compel
i ton. is just as foolish as IL we should e
81 back TO the fiintlocks OF Washington
e ContnentHls as substitute for moder
t weapons of precision.
e The effort to prohibit all combination
e good or bad. is hound to fail. and ougr
:. to fail; when made II merely means this
n some of the worst combinations are nj
o checked and that honest husineas