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The Bill In The Hands Of The President

The Bill In The Hands Of The President image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
May
Year
1902
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

 

 

THE ARGUS DEMOCRAT

AND

YPSILANTI WEEKLY TIMES.

PUBLISHED BY

The Democrat Publishing Company.

D. A. Hammond, President.

S. V. Beakes, Secy. and Treas.

PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY

for $1.00 per year strictly in advance.

Entered at the Post office in Ann, Arbor Mich as second-class mail matter.

FRIDAY, MAY 9, 1902.

 

 IS THE ACTION SINCERE?

Whether anything will be accomplished in the interest of the people by the suits which have been brought by the government against the Northern Securities company and The packers' combination remains to be seen. Of course there are those who do not believe that the administration is in earnest in its right against the money power. There are those who insist that what has been done is but a grand stand play for political gain. Results will have to be depended upon, therefore, to determine upon matter to the satisfaction of many.   But this is a fact that the president is a pretty determined man and is not much given to playing to the gallery. It is not easy, of course, to reconcile his action against the two great trust concerns with the statement given to the country that the recent utterances of Senator Beveridge  before the Indiana republican state convention on the trust question had been submitted to the president and had his approval. It is scarcely likely that such approval was ever given, however. It naturally causes doubt to arise, also, that the head of the republican party, the party of high protection and government favors to the trusts, should take a stand against these great capitalistic concerns, but on the face of the situation that appears to be the fact. There is undoubtedly for such action. When six great packing houses can corner so important an article of food supply as meat and compel the whole people to pay tribute in the sum of  millions of dollars, the time is ripe, it would seem, for the government to take some action if it has any power left.

As strange an action was taken by the government of Sir Robert Peel in England when the party of high protective duties repealed the corn laws. These laws were notoriously in the interests of the land owners and all the efforts of the people for their repeal were resisted for years, but finally a ministry which was called to power to uphold these obnoxious laws repealed them. But in addition to years of agitation, riot and bloodshed were added before this action followed. The American people are most patient and long suffering, but they will not always stand the oppression they are being subjected to by some of the great capitalistic concerns which are operating in restriction of trade and contrary to law. It Would seem that the trusts are now getting about to the point at which it is necessary to make them understand there is a possibility of their going too far, as was the case with the insolent slave barons a generation ago. Probably the president believes action is necessary now before the case grows worse and that selfish greed must be taught the supremacy of the people over their food supply.

 

THE BILL IN THE HANDS OF THE PRESIDENT

The bill which has been drawn against the beef trust is in the hands of the president who is giving careful study to the same, it is said. It is expected it will be filed and an injunction asked for in the course of a few days. The provisions of the law under the suit is to be brought are as follows:

Section 1. Every contract, combination, in the form of trust or otherwise, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several states or with foreign nations, is hereby declared to be illegal.

Sec. 2. Every person who shall monopolize or attempt to monopolise or combine or conspire with any pat of the trade or commence among the several states or with foreign nations shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.

Sec 3. Every contract , combination, in form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy  in restrain of trade or commerce in any territory of the United States or of the District of Columbia, or in restrain of trade or commerce between any such territory or territories and state or states and the District of Columbia, or with foreign nations, or between the District of Columbia and any state or states or foreign nations is hereby illegal.

The penalty provided for violation of the law is a fine not exceeding $5,000, or imprisonment for no more than one year, or both in the discretion of the court.

  The form of the specific charges, or some of them, which  have been made against the alleged trust by citizens are as follows:

  The arbitrary regulation of prices.

  Limitation of supplies at given points.

  Agreement as to territory in suppression of competition.

  Boycotting of dealers by one member of the trust whereby they are debarred from obtaining credit from any other member.

   Blacklisting of employees so that those dismissed by any firm in the combine are shut out by all.

  Formal signed agreements to observe certain  practices in the conduct of their business with dealers. 

  The appointment of a central official to see that these agreements are kept, and with power  to decide without appeal and collect a money penalty from any concern in the trust that fails to maintain them in their rigor.

  Illegal rebate combination with the railroads.

 

 

The statement is made to the Argus on reliable authority that conductors on the city electric line are refusing to give transfers to passengers who get on the carts at the Michigan Central depot and wish to change to the big carts in order to reach their homes within the city limits. Some days ago a citizen boarded one of the city carts at the Michigan Central Depot, paid his fare and asked for a transfer to the D.Y. A. A. & J. car to go to his home in the south part of the city.  He was informed that no transfer could be given. The passenger asked why and was informed that such were the orders to conductors and they have to obey orders. The conductor informed the passenger that he, the conductor, had been several times called down for giving transfers and instructed that he must not given them any more. The passenger was obliged to pay two fares within the city limits. It often happens, too that conductors on these carts have no transfers when asked for them, so frequently does this happens in fact that it seems that there must be some design in being without transfers. But if transfers have been withdrawn altogether, as stated by the conductor in the case referred to, then it is time for the city authorities to look into the matter. With the limited trackage of the company within the city limits, no one should be forced to pay two fares for a continuous ride within the city.

 

 

Major Gardener, about whose report as to the doings of the army in his province in the Philippines the political parties at Washington have been wrangling for some time will not be  summoned to Washington. It is not proposed to give him a chance to vindicate himself and prove his charges in any such atmosphere as that which pervades Washington. In fact he is very likely to be tried by court martial for having made the report. It sounds very fine that he is going to have a hearing on the ground where all the evidence is at hand and before his brother officers. But to the citizens not blind by partisan bias it is well understood that army influences are actively against the and that he stands little chance of having justice done him in any military trial in the Philippines. He has been the shuttlecock of the warring political forces in congress and he needs not to expect anything like justice.  The republican majority and the administration do not want this charges made good, and minority would magnify these charges and make of them much more than they really amount to. A judicial trial by officers of the army upon which his structures were passed under all the circumstances is an impossibility. He will have to depend upon the court of public opinion for anything like a just estimate of his case.  

 

To give moment for the erection of a Young's Men's Christian association building will tend to diminish taxes. Every criminal is a direct expense to the taxpayers are fortifying themselves against higher taxes in the future by providing the best possibly aids for the work of Y. M. C. A.

 

Detroit will soon be entitled to the championship belt, if not already, as having more murders within a given number of days than any other city of its class in the country.                             The expressions of Washtenaw attorneys relative to the probable appointment of Judge Kinne as United States minister to the Hague were all very flattering to that gentleman. But these opinions did not express more than the sentiments generally held relative to his fitness for the place.

 

London seems to have gone mad over the invasion of England by one J.P. Morgan.   Mr. Labouchere sees the doom of England in this and other invasions of similar kind.   Mr. Morgan can do a great many things which ordinary mortals cannot do, but the destruction of the British empire is not one of them. Its end will not seen quite yet.

 

During the year 1901 there were 918 prosecutions in this county for violations of the law. Each case cost the country from $3 to $500. The taxpayers pay the bills. Anything that will lessen the liability of young men who frequent becoming criminals would be a welcome boon.  Experience shows that the criminals do not come from the young men who  frequent the Y. M C. A. buildings. It is, therefore, commendable foresight for the taxpayers to put up a Y. M. C. A.building and provide for rebate in future taxes.

 

The new Y. M. C. A. building is expected to accommodate from 200 to 400 boys and from 400 to 700  men or a total of from 600 to1100 in all. It may be educational, the social, the religious, or the physical part of the association features which will attract them individually, but the result in any case, must be stronger men and better citizens.  Who can measure the influence upon the 600 to 1100 young men or the influence which they in turn will have upon the other 1200 or 2000 young men in Ann Arbor and vicinity?

 

"Doc" Smith says in substance that Congressman Smith told  him two years ago that he had no intention of appointment E. J. Helber postmaster at Ann Arbor, but was simply tiding him along with the expectation of the post office in order to retain his help and influence. All indications are that this  was the purpose of the congressman from the first. But if all this be true, as it seems to be, it is very reprehensible conduct in a congressman or anybody else. If this and other doing like nature do not come up to plague the congressman in his ambition to succeed himself, it will be very strange.

 

In the death of Sol Smith Russell thousands of Americans will feel a personal loss. In his long career on the stage he made a place for himself very near the hearts of people who are not regular theaters goers as well as the regulars. He was a power for good and distinctly elevated the stage in the estimation of many good people.  The plays in which he was at home were those which represented and taught some realistic lesson in the lives of the great common people.  His plays were always wholsome and clean, humorous and yet containing much for the thoughtful and serious. And in each one he seemed to have been created for the part and the part for him. The Sol Smith Russell who is enshrined in the hearts on the thousands who knew him as a genuinely good soul, was true in his living to the homely but genuinely good characters which he so fittingly portrayed. There will be a feeling of regret among all those who have ever heard him that they are to hear him no more.

 

The investigations into the doings of the army in the Philippinnes is far enough developed now to make it pretty certain that it will be through. But it has reached this stage only by dint of hard work and possibly by using information alleged to have been given by Lieut.   Gen. Miles which probably would not have been accessible at all otherwise. It was the intention of the war department to keep the worst back and prevent it from getting before the investigating committee. But it is at last before the public and indicates that there was great need that some one disclose the facts. It is a shame and disgrace that such things have been taken in a war which is bein waged in the interest of "humanity" and by the most advanced (?) of the civilized nations. Before the investigation is through with, it will be probably be determined whether the brutal and inhuman orders of General Smith came from any higher source than himself. He seems to speak most frankly for one who issued the orders he did wholly on his own initiation.

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