The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-09-25
COMPLETING THE RECORD

Undo the Senate's Treachery,
charged that President Wilson es-
pecially asked for certain provisions
in the Clayton antitrust bill which
the Judiciary Committee refused "a
put into the bill. The Post Dispatch
concludes its editorial in the following
words:
Missouri will be glad to hear
from her famous Frustrating cham.
pion of the people on this propose.
ton. Speak up, Mr.. Reed, your home
folks are listening"
BY reference to the Congressional
Record, under date Of September !
1914. it seems that Senator Reed did
speak up, and he spoke in a most Wig.
orous tone and in a most effectiyp
manner. We quote from the Congre.
-.oaaI Record:
M Reed: Mr. President, ! nov
offer the amendment printed or pagc
- and II of the printed amendment
The presiding officer ordered IT,
secretary 10 state the amendment PR
posed by the senator from Missou
The secretary read as follows: /,
I# proposed to add as a new sectio.
the following:
Section That whenever cor
poration shall acquire or consolidatu
the ownership or control of tn
plants, franchises or property Of
or individuals, so that it shall be ad-
judged to be monopoly or combina-
ton in restraint Of trade, the court
such judgment shall decree
its dissolution and shall to that end
appoint receivers to wind up its af-
fairs, and shall cause all Of its as
sets to be sold in such manner and
to such persons rs will, in the opinion
IF the court, restore competition as
fully and completely as it was before
aid corporation or combination began
10 be formed The court shall re
serve IN its decree jurisdiction over
said assets so sold for sufficient
lime to satisfy the court that full and
rec competition is restored and as.
furcd'
"Thc Presiding Officer The ques
ion is on agreeing to the amendment
by the senator from Mis-
souri,.
"Mr, Reed; Mr.. President, / again
cad this statement coming from the
Attorney Generals office.
THE fundamental weakness in the
enforcement Of the antitrust act in
previous administration was the fail
ire to insist upon real dissolution
# monopolies and combinations which
he courts had adjudged unlawful.
81 do not read that in order to crit
else any past administration and do
rot prevent it from any partisan mo-
i've. The great trouble in the en-
'orccment of one of these laws is that
lfter the violatCr has been finally
brought to book he then begins to
appeal in the name of the widows and
'rphans-thc fictitious and invisible
Widows and orphans-who are allcg-
ID to own stock in the concern; he be-
;ins to appeal against the thought Of
business. Accordingly it
has been true that the dissolution Of
trusts in the past has frequently re-
suited in merely producing number
IF other trusts, and the stock of the
corporation has actually risen in val
lie upon the market.
"Mr. President, ! want to invite
he serious attention of the Senate to
his amendment. This provision on
" applies where there is n final iudg-
ment; IL does not interfere with a
possible settlement. But where there
has been final judgment, the decree
provides for the appointment of a re-
ceiver and the actual good faith dis
solution of the combination. That
may seem revolutionary to some of
you; but | call your attention to the
fact that in 2S states of this union
they have similar provision for the
violation of their antitrust acts. 1t
is principle that has been recog-
ni2ed in all the states that | have re-
ferred to. Therefore | think it ought
to be placed in this proposed law.
Besides, l think it ought to 90 in
to this law so that hereafter when we
shall prosecute combination and
shall gain the suit there shall be a
real and not pretended dissolution.
"The Presiding officer: The Qucs-
ton is on the amendment proposed by
the Senator from Missouri.
1.-THE amendment was agreed to-"
II seems that Senator Reed has