Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-03-10
OUR WASHINCTONLETTER

ton and with the active assistance Of
many Of the Bourbon Democrats, the
Esch-Cummins railroad bill, as revised
In conference committee, was driven
through the house on February 81 and
passed the senate two days later.
Members who voted for the bill are
still explaining. They are finding il
necessary to write more letters Of ex
PLANTATION every day. Many of them
have lost their appetites, and some
of them find it difficult even to sleep
The specter of an avenging political
fate disturbs their rest
They are worried because. for the
first time In many years. the opposi.
ton to a reactionary bill passed by
both branches of congress is organic.
ing nationwide fight, in every vot.
ing precinct, to punish those who pass.
ed the measure. Organized labor rep.
resents 100000 votes at the least
estimate: probably its influence is
still wider. While it can not be cor.
rallied In any one party, it can be raj.
lied to defeat candidates for renom,
ination in circumstances such as these
And never before has a 1.-THE of such
anger toward standpat politicians been
exhibited as is evidenced now
against the supporters of this railroad
bill.
Former soldiers and sailors in the
labor ranks speak of this as the rail.
road bonus BILL" thereby calling at
tention to the fact that while 1900, 900
ex-service men have thus far been de.
MED any bonus legislation, the hand
full of railroad stock investors have
been given generous sums from the
treasury, along with the return of full
authority over the lines of interstate
commerce.
RAIL VOTE IS TEST
On the "black list" which the q
100000 organized railroad workers
and their industrial and political allies
will bring to the attention of the vot.
ers in every corner Of the country,
are the names of all members of house
and senate who voted IN favor of this
railroad bill, or were paired in favor
OF it, or were absent and not voting
unless on account of sickness.
Trembling in fear of the day. of
judgment are such stalwarts az
Steenerson, Knutson, Newton, Vol
stead and Anderson of Minnesota, of
whom the first-uamed was declared
by President Welch of the Minnesota
Society of Equity to have pledged
himself to vote against the bill.
Young of North Dakota voted against
the Esch bill originally. but answered
the summons OF Leader Moudell on
the showdown: Knutson is majority
whip in the house. He, like Steen-
erson, gave his pledge against the bill
to the organized farmers: but when
Mondell took charge Of the situation
knutson remained out of town and
without pair, which could have been
arranged by telegraph. Schall was I'll.
so absent and impaired.
STEEL COMBINE WINS
BY a four-to-three decision the fed.
erai supreme court has dismissed the
long-standing government suit against
the United States Steel corporation
and allied concerns. The case IL re.
markable in that the judges favor.
able to the combine apparently ad.
m1tted most OF the points made by the
government attorneys.
Monopoly, therefore, declares the
majority opinion, was not achieved
and competitors had to be persuaded
by pools. associations, trade meetings
and through the social form of din.
ners. all Of them, it may be, violations
OF the law, but transient in their pur.
pose and effect. They were scattered
through the years of the formation of
the corporation, until 1911, but after
instances Of success and failure were
abandoned nine months before this
suit was brought"
Justice Day, Clark and Pitney, on
the other hand, state: IT the Sher.
man law is to be given efficacy there
must be decree undoing as far "a
Is possible that which has been achiev.
ed In open, notorious and continued
violation Of the law"
The dissenting judges evidently see
that this case is the final blow to the
Sherman snti-trust law and other an.
thrust laws SO far as giant. business
combinations are concerned. The mo:
nopoly lawyers have put over a lefini.
ton OF monopoly under which there
cant be any such thing. The power
to nix prices; the power to control raw
materials, the power to limit the
growth Of independents, no longer
constitutes monopoly. Henceforth
monopoly profits can be gathered In
from the public without mourning the
enmity Of the law.
NEW sEDiTloN BILL
Congressman Husted Of New York
member Of the house judiciary com
mittee, who introduced: the INFAMOUS
Hustled bill that failed along with: The
sterling and Graham bills and also
that Of Attorney. General Palmer. ha.
introduced a brand new peace time
sedition bill, and the real flght IN nov
on for q free press: This. 6nl lookf
innocent and is highly csuaouhaked
with words like "DhysieaI force" "as
sassination," .'overthrnwings tho row
eminent" etc, and s:tssS @s;actly III
tricky sort q thing ths4e i lib can,
gresham Y can sxpI,eln pNay e - -