Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-01

the laws of one of the states against a
powerful corporation or trust for viola
ton of the Sherman anti-trus law. The
statement is made that the attorney
general has been for some time gather
ing evidence against this corporation
and that the district attorneys of vari-
Gus states are preparing to follow up the
proceedings in this case by other suits
from time TO time.
There is little or no truth in these re-
ports. The attorney general is not pre-
pairing any case against any corpora
ton. for the very good reason that he
well knows what his predecessor,
Griggs. found out thru decision of the
supreme court of the United States, that
the Sherman anti-trust law is so full OF
holes that it will not hold water. In its
present shape it is useless. even II other
wise desirable, to proceed against any
trust under that law, and the depart
ment of justice long ago abandoned any
attempt to enforce it
Only twice since the presenet attorney
general assumed office has he been asked
to institute proceedings under this law.
Once was last summer, when self-con-
stituted committee demanded that he
furnish them with the evidence against
the Carnegie steel trust, as they called
ii, which he was supposed to have be-
come possessed of while acting as the
local attorney in Pittsburg of one branch
OF the Carnegie corporation. The letter
which the attorney general wrote in re-
ply to this demand, in which he said less
about his belief that the Carnegie Steel
Company is not trust at all than he
did about the IMPROPERLY and useless
ness of asking him to divulge confiden-
tial information received III his capacity
as a lawyer for private interests, put an
end TO that proposition.
Since then the request has been made
to the department of justice to take
action against a corporation which, II
the evidence outlined TO the attorney
general exists, has plainly violated the
law, and he has replied that II such
evidence can be furnished it would be
his duty and pleasure to file the suit
in question Whether the alleged evil
dence exists has not yet been DEM
onstrated, but he fact that the request
was made is probably responsible for
the report that the department of
Justice is about to bring suit against
powerful corporation or trust.
In whatever recommendation Presi-
dent Roosevelt may make to congress
on the subject of trusts, or whatever
he shall say about them in his message.
1t is safe to assume that he will reflect.
in a measure at least, the views of his
attorney general. of whose good judy
ment and ability as a lawyer he has
the very highest regard. 1t is more
than likely that the attorney general
has as strong convictions on the sub
ject of the necessity of legislation on
the trust question as President
Roosevelt has, but here is little or no
jurisdiction for the reports that either
of them believes thatthe so-called trusts
are wi!lfully violating United States
statutes, or that the laws could reach
them If they are.
Some of the ablest of President
Roosevelt's advisers have pointed out
to him the peculiar difficulties that lie
in the way of enacting laws to justify
and effectively reach the evils that 1t
is generally admitted grow out of the
operations of some of the so-called
trusts, but, at the same time. they have
argued that human nature and the
race for commercial supremacy are
largely responsible for the trade COM
binations which have grown SO rap