Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-18
SAYS TRUST LAW
NEEDS NO CHANGE
Ednunds Sees No Reason to
Exempt Labor Unions from
Its Provisions.
Especial to tho Evening star.I

BAY HEAD, June 1S,-That the
clause which is primarily intended to
exempt labor unions from the Sher-
man ANTITRUST laws, is both unwar-
ranted and unconstitutional, was the
sentiment expressed yesterday by
former United States Senator George
F. Edmunds of Vermont, who was
chairman of the United States Senate
judiciary committee in 1890.
Mr.. Edmunds declared that there
must be no exemption made to any
branch of business, if we would have
equal rights under the law.
All that you hear about legislation
being necessary he said,I us fuss
over details which the courts are al
ready able to decide and have de-
Cided,'
Touching on the provisions Of the
proposed amendment, which proposes
to exempt "fraternal labor, consum-
ers', agricultural or horticultural as
sociationsH from the antitrust law,
former Senator Edmunds said that
an Identical measure was dropped by
the Senate in 1890 as being in apposi-
ton to the entire spirit of the bill.
Motives of Legislators.
Referring to the recent unanimous
for the labor amendment" Mr.. Ed
munds said;
when Two or three or half a dozen
men come to a conclusion on what To
them seems eXpedient they usually
are feverish enough, but when you
multiply the number the more fever
ish becomes the body and the greater
tie emotion. What influenced the
members of tho House, comprising all
parties, to vote in the manner they
did may have been, however, not
mere emotion or excitement, The inn
pulse may have come from party
tactics or political motives, the House
members entering upon a race to gain
advantage with the great bodies OF
voters. 1t does not appear to have
depended upon reflective judgment OF
regard for the Constitution, This is
not a good way to make laws.
The seventh section of this act 1.-THE
labor amendmentD is evidently in
tended to exempt the classes nameC
from the prohibition of the act o
1890 against conspiracies i'm restrain
# interstate trade and conspiracies Il
create monopolies, and to authorize
the particular classes named to vio'
late the provisions of that act. Il
these operations are not in restraint
of trade, they need no special protec-
ton If they are, why should they
be permitted when ali other classes
of the community are subject to thu
equal law? Equality of right before
the law is the fundamental principle
and the very foundation stone of re,
publican and democratic government
This question was fully considered
and deliberated upon when the act ol
1880 was under consideration anC
upon passage. Labor unions, farm.
ers' unions and consumers unions
arc already. and always have been
perfectly free and proper. 1t is only
when they are guilty otS misconduct
in their actions that they are liable
like all other classes of the com.
munity. to restraint and punishment
TT will be a singular spectacle il
Republican or Democratic Legislation
to provide that labor unions, foI
illustration, may combine to stop tho
work of their employers, while, i
/ their employers should combine b.
the same means to avert such a stop
/ page, they are forbidden to do so anC
punished if they do; or if the farmers
unions should combine to raise Tho
price of their wheat, while the baker.
are forbidden to raise the price of the
bread they make from the samt
wheat
"Such legislation would be so abso
lutely unjust and unequal, and such {
complete reversal of constitutions
liberty and equal rights. that evas
discussion of it would seem to be
absurd
Against Trade Commission.
Regarding the proposed interstate
| trade commission bill, Mr.. Edmund.
said:
| 1T will merely upset things. The
/ present plan proposes to jump tn,
/ power of the secretary of commerct
/ into a commission. As framed, thu
/ Interstate trade commerce bill--if i
were valid-would give a tremendous
/ power of tyranny which could easil,
! employ itself in greed and corruption
/ Il would concentrate power really il
! the President, who would have TIL
power to appoint and remove tn
/ commissioners, and to control tn,
whole business-inasmuch as, by tn
apparently settled practise of the
government. the President is author
lied to keep his appointees in oftic
| without the consent of the Senate
/ If the Senate refuses to affirm a nom
inee the President, if he chooses, ap
points the rejected nominee owe
again, and so may keep on indefinite
ly, as has frequently happened in lat
years. The proposed commission
,ould prove meddlesome, addir
nothing to the merit possessed by IL
older bureau of corporations"
Asked what he thought of Pres
ident Wilson's psychological defin
1 tion of the country's business dc
preston. Mr. Edmunds recalled
familiar expression of the late Pres
ident Cleveland. which was, I'VE al
facing a condition, not a theory
Mr. Edmunds offered this phrase q
his reply to the question.
However" he went on, Il am ne
depressed by what is going on.
viii all come out right. Trouble
are not political, but social. Huma
history and experience teach tn;
things go around in circles. We al
now in part of the circle which
shall not endeavor to classify. "
arc troubled with an epidemic
emotion among people who don
stop to reflect Radical doctrines a.
merely o sign of the times Son
lo., t1,pre will he a further SMiI