The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-03-25

tuS WuouS 10 Cne village, ShouI1nE,
yes and to one another, Saved from q
development by judicial decision. One
cycle of evolution in regard to this
matter has been sufficient in Germany,
sufficient in England, and other coun-
tries. America is the only civilized
nation which must go through this
development twice; yet it is now pro-
posed to neutralize the decisions OF
the court by defining reasonable so
that it shall mean prohibition of con-
tracts and combinations in restraint
of trade of every kind, and thus suc
coed in getting the statute law back
to where Senator Sherman and the
people thought they had gotten IL
more than twenty years ago through
the enactment by congress Of the
antitrust act, This would compel
the beginning of another third cycle
of development.
The Extent Of Combination.
In regard to the Sherman act, it has
been assumed that it's only violators
are the great combinations. This as
sumption is made in practically all
discussions of the trusts. The steel
trust, the tobacco trust. and a few
other large combinations are men,
toned; and it is assumed that the
small producers are not acting in vio-
lation of the law. But the principle
Of cooperation which the Sherman act
great industrial centers, like New
York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, to
the country crossroads. Does it make
any difference here in Washington
whether one buys anthracite of one re-
tail dealer or another? 1t doesn't
make any difference at the country
crossroads either. The price is iden-
teal from all dealers in the same To-
cality. The same is true of ice, the
anthithesis of anthracite; and it is
also true Of all standard articles. The
principle Of cooperation has extended
from the great manufacturers and the
great dealers of the large cities to the
small manufacturers and small dealers
Of the small cities and even villages
All are cooperating in exactly the
same way; the principle is the same
for the large and small man; one is
violating the law just az certainly as
is the other
/ am willing to stand for enforce
ment of the law when the law is en-
forced alike for all; but when someone
is picked out because he Is in the front
seat, or because it is good politics to
attack him, n ninety-n iii or 500 are
allowed to escape, I say it Is a pro-
foundry immoral situation. And that
Is exactly the existing situation in this
country. He who says, Break up the
trusts: destroy Them" says with the
same breath, 1--WE must have COOP
Grafton among he farmers. Why,
gentlemen, the cranberry
OF Cape Cod. New Jersey, and
wisconsin sell about 80 per cent Of
their produce through an agency down
in Hudson Street, New York. SINH
larry, many products Of farmers, IL
Illustrated by cotton, citrus fruits, etc.,
are marketed through cooperative
selling agencies.
Congress well understand this situ-
atom; and, at their two recent ses-
sions, they attached to the paragraph
containing ar appropriation Of $780,
600 for the enforcement of the anti
trust laws a proviso that none Of this
money should be spent in prosecuting
combinations or agreements Of labor,
nor spent for the prosecution Of pro-
ducers Of farm products and associa-
tons OF farmers who cooperate and
organize in an effort to and for the
purpose to obtain and maintain a fair
and reasonable price for their pro-
ducts" The purpose Of this provision
is clearly to make the Sherman law
class legislation by indirection and in
effect to prevent equality before the
law OF the manufacturer as
with the farmer and the laborer.
Some Of the smarter state iegisla-
turers also saw the situation as clear
ly as has congress. In order to pre-
vent the farmers from being hit by
their antitrust bills. they exempted
from their scope the products of the
land so long as held by the producers.
This was true for Texas, Louisiana,
Illinois, and South Dakota. You see
the state legislatures, like congress-,
appreciated that the farmers have so
many votes that they have to be
dealt with gently when they form a
trust.
But some Of these laws got into the
United States courts and these exemp-
tions were promptly declared uncon-
~stltut1onal, as being special legisla-
ton and not giving equal protection
under the " ! venture to predict
that 1t will no be so popular a 20
litical game to shout, BUST the
trusts" when the farmers understand
that their trusts are also to be
busted"
No more immoral legislation was
eyer passed by Congress or BY the
states. Fortunately Ex-President Taft
and President Wilson have both pro-
tested against this pernicious legis-
latton. The principles OF Justice In
regard to trusts and combinations are
alike for the manufacturers. tie farm
ers. and the laborers.
In this country we have not a
special situation which concerns a few
men, but a general Irresistible inn
pulse. 1t lis all very well to asl as
some have done, Has the time come
when a few rich men shall DEFY the
law" But Edmund Burke said more
than a century ago. II do not know
the method OF drawing up an indict-
ment against a whole people," Their
is just as close cooperation between
the three icemen in the country town
as there is in steel; and any solution
OF the problem of combination, liz 1T
be q Just solution. must be applied
only to the corporations but to
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