The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-21
PRESIDENTIAL PURPOSE
Strongest of Pressure Not Sufficient
to Weaken It,.

Strongest of Pressure Not Sufficient
to Weaken It..
search Of suspected houses continues, re-
Ne,o York ssss. Special Service
Washington, Feb. 21.-President Roose-
welt and Attorney General Knox are in
perfect accord on the decision to bring
suit against the Northern Securities COM
pany and determine if the Northern rail-
road merger is In violation Of the .sher-
man antitrust law Ever since the or
ganization of the Northern Securities
company the department Of justice had
had under consideration the advisability
of taking such action as is now proposed.
| Strong influences have been brought to
bear upon President Roosevelt and Attor-
ney General Knox to induce them to
change their views, but these have been
without avail. The president believed the
merger was in conflict with the antitrust
act, and both Attorney General Knox and
Solicitor General Richard sustained his
view. There has at no time been any
friction or conflict with the state of Min
nesota over its action, nor any particular
hostility to the Northern Securities. 1t
has been simply a question Of executing
the law The president feels bound to ex-
!! ecute the law, and the attorney general
| is his agent in this matter.
| The proposed action by the department
of justice is independent of the request OF
Minnesota to file bill in the United
States supreme court. They are on indie
pendent lines, the state Of Minnesota
seeking to bring suit to uphold her own
laws, and the department of justice seek
ing to prevent the violation of federal
statute. It is said at the department OF
justice that one object in making this
announcement of it's purpose to bring suit
at this time is to prevent a misunder-
standing with the public.
| The supreme court may hand down it's
decision on the petition of Minnesota to
| file an original suit in that court next
Monday. Had the attorney general waited
until after that decision, his action would
have been understood as in some way
related to that decision, when in fact
1t is entirely Independent. 1t is generally
believed that the court will decide that
| it has no Jurisdiction in the question
! raised by Minnesota. But even should
| the court grant the petition for filing that
| suit there would be many steps to be
taken before a final decision, could be
reached, and then it would affect the
power of the federal government to pro-
hibit such organizations as the Northern
Securities company from the restraint of
| commerce.
The department of Justice WILL there
| fore, file Its suit at once. either in Min
nesota, New York or New Jersey, as the
| defendants will be the Northern Securi-
| ties company, organized under the laws
of New Jersey, the Northern Pacific and
Great Northern railroad companies, in
| Minnesota and other northwestern
states, and j. P. Morgan and other stock
holders living in New York. The proba-
bility is that the suit Will be brought in
Minnesota, and that the attorney gen
era1 solicitor general and the United
! States district attorney for Minnesota will
sign the petition.
The attorney general and solicitor gem
eral will go to Minnesota II the suit is
brought there to appear in the case.
Without any purpose in arranging dra-
matte climax, there will be presented one
when the attorney general and solicitor
genral appear to prosecute the most gi-
gantic OF trusts In the same city where
Theodore Roosevelt, just before he be-
came president. made his memorable
! sreech on Americanism and spoke plainly