The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-14
GREAT RAILWAY SUIT.
Continued from First Page.

which had taken place from the Time OF
the organization OF the various com
panies to the present tims. and tins ar
rangements and proceedings. leases and
contracts which had been executed In
pretended compliance Herewith, chsr9-
ing that tho action of the various DOM
panies had been ultra VtTes, and that the
attempted. lease of the New Jersey cor
porations by the Lehigh Valley Railroad
Company to another Pennsylvania cor.
poration was in direct violation of the law
of the State, and that its object was to
accomplish a forbidden purpose and
create a monopoly in anthracite coal.
This information was also accompanied
by volumfnous afidavits and exhibits.
On exhibiting 1t to the Chancellor, he
granted a rule to show cause why the
prayer should not be granted. The de-
PENDANTS have since filed answering aft
davits. and the informant has obtained
nesses and take additional testimony as
to certain new matter introduced into the
answers. Testimony Is now being taken
in this case, and IL will be presented TO
the Chancellor at ar early dav, when the
matter will be argued on the rule to show
cause.
THE CASE APPEALED.
From the decision in the Central Rail-
road case, the Philadelphia and Reading
Railroad Company have appealed to the
Court of Errors and Appeals, but the
Central Railroad Company of New Jer-
sey declined to join in the appeal. Tesri-
nlony is now being taken In the case, to
be used on the final hearing.
On the 9th day Of September an infor-
nation, in the nature of a gu t%CGrTGntO,
was filed against the Port Reading Rail-
road Company with a view Of FORGETTING
its charter.
The labor In collecting the facts and
examining the history of the various
corporations concerned has been very
great. The collection of evidence as TO
the acts and doings of the defendants,
and occupied much time, because it was
all within defendants knowledge, and
the knowledge of their agents, from
whom 1t was difficult to obtain testimony.
From the time when l first commenced
my Investigation. / have been engaged in
the matter to the exclusion OF all other
business, and yet [ could not possibly
have accomplished what has been done
without the valuable assistance of Mr..
Gummere and Judge Stevens.
The combination has been estimated to
control O capital of six hundred millions.
1t is probably the largest and most
formidable conspiracy TO control the
price of a necessary Of life ever formed
In any country.
The willful and deliberate disobedience
of the orders of the Court Is defiance Of
the Law and contempt Of the authority to
which the domestic corporations W their
existence, and to which they constantly
appeal f6Eprotection.
VITAL ISSUE.
The vital question now is. whether
foreign corporations car combine with
the creatures of this State to establish a
monopoly In the necessaries OF life. and
whether such combinations have yet at
tanned sufficient strength to defy the
power of the courts te execute the law.
1t is simply whether the corporations
shall rule, or the people. through the
government they have established.
When l consider the general tendency
enterprises, and the immense aggregation
of capital. and of influence involved in
this lease; when / see the menace
which such concentrations make,
in the body polite and in our
legislatures, to the institutions of our
country. and to the welfare of the great
body of the people. l am impressed OF the
maintain, wherever and whenever pos
sible. those great common rights. which
have been preserved to us by the judi
ciary of our mother country, and which
they have continued to enforce there with
q fearlessness snd independence worthy
Of the highest imitation. Perhaps this
idea can be best expressed by me In the
eloquent language of Chief Justice Ryan
Of Wisconsin. who, in a similar case (At-
torney General ". Railroad Co., 35 Wis.
581). sald:5
MpcKERY OF JUSTICE.
ut would lave been u mockery of
justice to have left corporations-count-
ing their capital BY millions. their lines Of
railroad by hundreds aud even some.