The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1914-01-23
PROPOSED CHANGE IN ANTI
TRUST LAWS WOULD SEEK TO
PUT AN END TO FORMER.
WOULD CARRY OUT WILSON'S IDEA
Plan to Make Monopoly ain Any De.
gree" illegal lie Introduced BY
Kentucky Congressman-To
Cut Attorney Generals
Power-How New Law
Would Read.

Washington, Jan. 17-Representa-
tive Stanley of Kentucky, after con-
ference with President Wilson, intro
duced late today an amendment 20 tie
Sherman law which would make He
gal the monopolization or restraint Of
trade lin any degree" 1t is designed
to eliminate the rule of reason" laid
down by the supreme court in the
Standard Oil case
The amendment also would invest
the circuit courts of the United States
with Jurisdiction to restrain and pre-
vent violations of the act, Irrespective
of the attorney general. 1t was drawn
to meet the wish of the president, ex-
pressed in his last message to con-
gress, to reduce the debatable area
surrounding the Sherman act.
The Stanley bill would amend the
: Jcond and fourth sections of the
Sherman law. In section two, into
which the supreme court injected the
rule of reason" the words, "in any
degree" are inserted, so that the sec
ton would read:
Ever person who shall monopolize
or attempt to monopolize or combine
or conspire with any other person or
persons to monopolize IN ANY DE-
GREE any part of the trade or COM
merce among the several states or
with foreign nations shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor, and on con-
viction thereof shall be punished by
fine not exceeding $4,000 or by i'm
prisonment not exceeding one year or
by both said punishments, in the dis
erection of the court"
AS it is proposed to amend it, the
fourth section of the Sherman act
would read:
"The several circuit courts Of the
/ United States are hereby invested with
jurisdiction to prevent and restrain
violations of this act; and it shall be
the duty of the several district at
torneys of the United States IN
THEIR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS to
institute proceedings in equity to pre-.
vent and restrain such violations.
Such proceedings may be by way
of petition, setting fort the case and
praying that such violation shall be
enjoined or otherwise prohibited.
When the parties complained OF shall
have been duly notified of such petit
tons the court shall proceed as soon
as may be to the hearing and demon
stration Of the case, and pending such
petition and before the final decree
the court may at any time make such
temporary restraining order or pro-
hibition. as shall be deemed Just in
the premises.
ANY persons who shall be injured
in his business or property or shall
be threatened with such injury by any
other person or corporation by rea-
son of anything forbidden or declared
to be unlawful by this act may bring
suit in equity in any district court
of the United States, in the district in
which the defendant resides or is
found, to prevent and restrain viola.
tons Of this act and for other appro.
pirate relief.
"All evidence showing or tending to
show that such restraint was partial
or that 1t was not undue or unreason-
able shall be admissible for the pur-
pose of determining the quantum of
damages or the character of punish
ment to be inflicted, and for no 9TH
err"