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Show Recently, in Pennsylvania, a trial was held under tbo conspiracy act, the accuse I being Messrs. .John Kiiiey and X'ngo Parks, o dicers of t lie Miners' National Na-tional association. Judg- Orvis, who presided in the trial, d Hvered a charge, in which the law of conspiracy was clearly dcflueii. Any agreement, combination com-bination or confederation to incrcise or depress tho prices f any vendible, commodity, com-modity, whether labor, merchandise or anything else, ia indic'.abte as a conspiracy conspir-acy under the Uwa. This, in that state, ninkta both employer and employee, capitalist and laborer, amenable to the law. The fact oblainj, however, that i'.s op ration falls uly upon tho laboring Xf this law extended throughout the states, it might bring within its scope a large number of cases of conspiracy which are not now generally prohibited. prohib-ited. If a peacable combination among mechanics to raise their wages is a conspiracy, that of railroad direc- ton to impose and maintain high rates for transportation, and of manufacturer! man-ufacturer! to increase the price of their productions are do less conspiracies. conspir-acies. How far this principle- of legislation might he carried without upsetting all our settled ideas ot individual indi-vidual and commercial freedom it may not be easy to demonstrate; but there can be no doubt that the law of conspiracy iaono which is legitimately applicable to the capitalist and employer, em-ployer, as well as to the laborer and mechanic. What should the powerful capital combination which has been felt in recent elections be termed, if not a conspiracy to bull the money market and depress the present values of all commodities, decrease the profits of all classes of industry, enriching the creditor and impoverishing impover-ishing the debtor classes ? |