The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-11-21

Washington, Nov. 20-Why Is the |
Wickersham suit against the Steel
trust one in equity yiinstead of a Grim
inal prosecution? ~
The Sherman antitrust law carries |
a provision by which guilty trust mag !
mates may be sent to Jail. II 1t is pos
sible to dissolve the Steel trust under |
the Sherman law-and President Taft
and Attorney General Wickersham
boast that 1t is easy to dissolve ev-
cry illegal combine, in the land under
this tsutate--why are not the men
who organized and direct these illeg-
al monopolies equally liable to sue
cessful prosecution.
With the fact admitted that 1t was
in ]. p. Morgan's library that the
steel trust conspiracy was developed,
that 1t was he who sent Gary and
Frick to see President Roosevelt
about the Tennessee Coal and Iron Co.
merger, and that Morgan received s29,.
100000 in clear profit for his part In
the organization work, 1t would ap-
pear to the lay mind that Morgan 10
just as liable to prosecution for hav-
ing organized an illegal monopoly as
said monopoly is liable to dissolution
for being in existence in violation of
the law.
"Guilt is Personal"
The American public is about con-
yinced that trust magnates care little
or nothing about "suits," as long as
they are directed against corpora
tions and not individuals, and espec-
tally IL the government trust buster"
is to be former trust attorney and
member of political party whose
campaign funds were supplied by the
very trust he proposes to dissolve.
Rebating by railroads could not be
stopped until the offense was made a
penit ntiary one. When that was
done, rebating stopped
A remote possibility of having to
dissolve" under plan which they
themselves can stipulate, (see Su-
preme courts acceptance of the tobac-
co trusts reorganization plans) or
the threat of fine against the trust
instead of individuals, has time and
again proven an insufficient deterrent
to trust magnates who see an oppOr-
tunity to make millions of dollars an
nually by disregarding the law.
There is one thing that trust mag
mates are afraid of, and apparently one
thing only. That is the penitentiary.
When an attorney general can be
found who will enforce the only fea-
ture of the Sherman law that will
cause trust magnates to really obey
the law, and not until then, will the
public be justified IN expecting relief
from trust oppression and the conse-
quent high prices.
What the People Pay
The people of the United States pay
a subsidy in artificially high prices to
the wool industry of at least $104,000,
900 a year, according to calculations
of Hon. Oscar w. Underwood Of Ala
bama, chairman of the Ways and
Means committee of the House oi
Representatives
"The Payne-Aldrich tariff tax of 81
cents per yard, to say nothing of any
increase in tax as 1t passes to the job
ber, makes not less than $104 100000
paid each year to subsidize the WOO
industry OF America" says Mr.. Under
wood. Now the entire duties actual
ly paid the United States on all i'm
ports of woolens and worsteds in 1911
amounted to less than $15,000,0 900
which means that of the $104,00O,0 ,00C
d extorted from the purchasers Of wool
ems nearly $9O,OO0,00O went to the
wooden industry
1T is fair or just or right to main
tain these erroneous taxes unduly t
foster the business of less than one
fourth of one per cent of the people
, and to require ninety-nine and three
fourths to stagger under this enor
nous burden? for one do not believ'
the American people will justify th'
President in his veto Of the woo
chedule.
Tobacco Trust Still Trust
. In the opinion of many students o
the trust question the tobacco trus
has won. That Is the real meaning
they give the approval by the Unite
States circuit court in New York o
, the tobacco trust reorganization plar
The tobacco trust is to remain; the dc
, cree of the court does not in practica
effect dissolve 1t. Competition is no
restored. The stock ownership is nc
divided. The actual activities of mar
ufacture and distribution are not eve
placed under different supervision
The circuit court politely declines tn
responsibility of making an orde
, which shall make the business of tn
Z tobacco trust fulfill the Suprem