THE OUTLOOK

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, Cal. · Feb 7, 1911

“Watchman, what of the night?”

What Will Be the Decision?

MANY trusts at this writing are waiting the decision of the Federal Supreme Court in the trust cases before it. The essence of the Sherman act is well stated in the following:

Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is hereby declared to be illegal.

The real question or questions are: Did the monopolists or monopolies or trusts INTEND to restrain trade, as many of them doubtless have done? Did the Congress of the United States INTEND to make illegal every contract, combination, or conspiracy which might restrain trade?

Will the Supreme Court decide in the affirmative? Then the trusts must go, competition will be restored, and further infractions of the law punished.

In his recent plea before the great court against the Standard Oil Company, Mr. Kellogg, among other things, said:

“I am not going to deal in romances, but I am going to tell the court the cold, pitiless facts. I say on my oath as a counselor of this court — which honor I do not lightly prize — that the equal in this record in oppression and abuse of power is not known in the commercial history of the country. I distrust my own ability to present to you these facts.”

“It covered Pennsylvania with wrecks,” exclaimed Mr. Kellogg. “It was born and reared in fraud and oppression. It hangs over commerce today like a threatening cloud.”

Taking up repression and concentration, Mr. Kellogg said that while the Standard had absorbed 114 companies, the number in the trust had been held down to twenty. He disputed Mr. Milburn's statement that the Standard merely acquired other companies in the ordinary course of business. He said refineries were bought and dismantled to destroy competition.

“Fear of the law and of prosecution,” exclaimed Mr. Kellogg, “is the only thing that makes the Standard Oil combination approximately conservative. Take away the fear of the law, and every rival concern in this country will be closed in five years. Apprehension alone has kept the Standard within bounds. Remove the dread of prosecution, and the Standard will expand its course of unfair practices and persecution. The removal of its power for evil is the only safeguard for the future.”

It reduced selling prices to drive out independents. Its profits were enormous. Mr. Kellogg recited that a check for $23,000,000 had been drawn and never found. Officials had been examined, Mr. Archbold had made investigation, but no trace of that amount could be found.

The decision of the Supreme Court is of far-reaching importance. What will it be? Will it curb the repressive and oppressive power of great corporate wealth? Or will it give plutocracy a new lease of life?

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