The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-08-06

The other mefhOu OF AVOIDING ddnsoR
Of excessive prices from excessive du-
ties IL to enforce the antitrust law
against those who combine to take ad-
vantage OF the excessive tarif rates.
This brings me to the discussion Of the
Sherman act
The antitrust law was passed to pro.
vide against the organization and main.
tenance Of combinations for the man
| ufacture and sale OF commodities.
which through restraint Of trade, either
by contract and agreement or by va
rious methods Of unfair competition,
should suppress competition. establish
monopoly and control prices. The
measure has been on the statute books
since 1890, and many times under con-
siruction by the courts. but not until
the litigation against the Standard Oil
company and against the American To
bacco company reached the supreme
court did the statute receive an author
| itative construction which is workable
and Ineligible.
II Is the custom Of those who find II
| to their political interest to do so to
sncer at, as innocuous. the DEGREES
against the American Tobacco COM
pany and the Standard Oil company.
and the administration Is condemned
In the Democratic platform for con-
senfiig 10 compromise in the stand
ard OIL case There was no cOmpro-
mise. The Standard Oil decree was en-
tered by the circuit court. and then by
the supreme court, ON the prayer OF the
government contained In the original
bill filed in previous administration.
Tobacco Case Was Fully Discussed.
The decree in the Tobacco case WIS
rea rhed after full discussion and en-
tered by the circuit court, consisting OF
four circuit judges. as proper decree,
and the government refused TO appeal
from IL because IL did not feel that 1t
had grounds upon which to base such
an appeal. Both decrees are working
well. Both DEGREES have ir-roduced
competition, the one into branches Of
the tobacco business and the other into
bra inches of the oil business. They
have not reintroducod ruinous cOmpeti-
ton, but they have affected certain
prices In such way rs to show the
presence Of real competition.
The division Of the two trusts by the
DEGREES into several companies was not
expected TO show Immediate radical
change in the business. II may take
some years to show all the benefits Of
. the dissolution, but the limitations OF
the DEGREES IN those two cases re so
. specific as to make altogether impOssi-
bic a resumption Of the old combination
against which the DEGREES were en-
tered. Even II experience shall show
the decrees 10 he inadequate. full op-
Z portunity in future litigation will be
afforded to supply the defects.
know that i'm this wide country
i there are many who call themselves
: Democrats who view with the same
: aversion that we Republicans do the
u radical proposition Of change in our
form OF government that are rec klessly
> advanced TO satisfy what is supposed
J. TO lie popular claInOr. They are mer
). who revere the constitution and the in
stitutions of their government with all
! the love and respect that we could pos.
sibly have. men who deprecate disturb
J. ance in business conditions and are
yearuing for that quiet from dcma'
gogi,. agitation which is essential to
the enjoyment by the whole people oi
' the great prosperity which the good
crops and The present conditions Ough,
to bring us. To them ! appeal. as to
J. all Republicans. to join Us in an ear
Z nes, effort to avert the political and
. economic revolution and business pa
ralysiS which Republican defeat viii
bring about Such misfortune will fal
J. most heavily on the wage Garner. MAY
g we not hope that he will see what his
It real interest Is. will understand th'
, shallowness Of attacks upon existing
:. institutions and deceitful promises OF
l. underlined benefit by underlined changes
ii Refers to "Fustian OF Promise"
Nlny we not hope that the great ma
. iority Of voters will be able to distin
. guish between the substance OF per
forliance and the fustian of promise
that they may he able to see that those
u who would deliberately stir up discon
= tent and create hostility toward thoss
: who are conducting Legitimate business
enterprises and who represent the busi
e ness progress of the country are SOW
= ing dragons teeth: Who are the peo
u pley They are not alone the unfortu
! nate and the weak; they are the veal
- and the strong, the poor and the rict
e and the many who are neither. thu
" wage Garner and the capitalist. th'
u farmer aud the professional man. thu
- merchant and the manufacturer. thu
- storekeeper and the clerk. the railroad
E. manager and the employee-they nj
make up the people and they all con
tribute TO the running OF the govern
h ment. and they have not any Of then
IT given into the hands of any one thu
II mandate to speak for them as peculiar
C. ~ the peoples representative. Espe
Is cially does not he represent them who
10 assuming that the people are the IN
ID fortunate and discontented would sti
& them up against the remainder OF thos'
In L. AL