Gilpin observer., 1914-05-14
WASHINGTON NEWS
BY Edward Keatdng.

|
congress full steam ahead" and the
Democratic majorities in both houses
are preparing to smash legislative
speed records in the hope that we
can get away from Washington by
July 10th.
The presidential program calls for
the passage Of the antitrust and
rural credits bills and, of course, the
Panama canal tolls bill
The house will complete its part of
the task well within the time limit,
but the senate may be unable to
keep up with the schedule. Public
sentiment seems to be the only in
] fluence which can curtail the flow of
TALK in the upper chamber, and that
influence may make itself felt before
long. The business interests of the
country are clamoring for action.
They realize that while the antitrust
bill is supplied with teeth its en-
forcement will not affect legitimate
enterprise. The honest business man
has discovered that President VIII
son is his best friend, and he is
more than willing to give Democratic
policies a fair test.
1t is quite generally agreed that
the very best thing congress could
do from a business point of view is
party pledges, adjourn and go home.
A few partisans may attempt to
block this program, but everything
indicates they will be swept aside.
Antitrust Law.
When the Sherman antitrust law
was passed 20 years ago it was an
nounced by its sponsors that its pur-
pose was to curb trusts and great
combinations of capital which were
oerating in such way as to inter-
fere with the freedom of trade.
However. during the first seventeen
years it was on the statute books the
only persons who were tried and
convicted under its provisions were
eight farmers in Grant County, Ken
lucky. During those II years, scores
OF trusts had been formed and they
had wrung almost countless millions
of dollars of unjust profits from the
American people, but they had not
felt the heavy hand of the law.
The eight farmers might have es-
capped If they had not committed the
fatal blunder Of offending one of the
very trusts which the law was de-
signed to control!
Farmers Combine.
When the American Tobacco Trust
was formed its promoters undertook
to lower the price paid the farmers
for their tobacco, and to advance the
price charged the consumer for the
finished product. Eventually the far
mers found themselves unable to
farms had to be mortgaged and bank
ruptcy and the poorhouse confront
ed them. Then it was they attempted
to combine and compel the trust to
deal more generously with them.
The legislature of Kentucky enact
{ ed laws legalizing this combination
or union of farmers. and authorizing
the members to pool" their products
and hold them for better prices.
When the agents of the trust at
tempted to buy Tobacco they were
compelled to deal with a committee
representing all the farmers. and as
a consequence prices scared, and the
I producers began paying off theil
mortgages.
But the trust was not asleep. l,
e waited and watched apd finally II
secured evidence to show that eight
farmers of Grant county. Kentucky
, had persuaded neighbor not to shir
his tobacco to a broker in Cincinnati
Ohio, unless the broker paid the
: price fixed by the farmers combine
That was an interstate transaction
j the Federal courts and soon the 81
gantic legal machinery of the Sher
2 man antitrust law which had mo-
i turned wheel in II years began tt
, grind up the eight Grant county far
! mers.
5 The miscreants were hauled before
a a Federal grand jury and indicted
Then they were tried before a fed
eral Judge and convicted and sentenc
ed.
And all this time the tobacco trus
( was doing business at the old stand
I robbing the producer and the con
! sumer with admiral impartiality ant
j Uncle Sam would not raise hand t.
! restrain its operations.
! Need Of Anne ndment.
/ The farmers of the country mad'