The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-03-15
RAILROADS LOSE
 MERGER DECISION
(continued from First Page.

NNOHlllluSu IEOIii rlFSL EdSS.J commercial affairs.
 T think the danger of uncontrolled personal power in railway mana agement has been averted.
 ''As to the bearing of the decision upon other railroads, have only to say: The government has not claimed that the law is any broader than its language plainly indicates. If between other railroads there exist contracts, combinations and conspiracies by which interstate commerce is restrain- ed, then they violate the law.
 During the trial and argument, the government paid no heed to defend ants contention that the makeup of systems of railroads was on trial. The governments position then was that the question before the court was the validity of the Northern Securities de- vice. Its invalidity Is what the court has decided The government is claim ing no more now in respect to this case than 1t did before the bar of the court.
 T say this much not because it is necessary to give thes country assur- ances that the government does not mean to run amuck. but because of the historical character ofithat part of the defendants case. and some utterances that followed the decision of the court below"
 New York, March A.-E. H. Harri- man said: T must digest the opinion and consult with my friends before talking about it.''
 Princeton, N. J., March 14.-Former President Grover Cleveland was asked tonight to express his opinion of the supreme court decision in the Northern Securities case. He replied that, as he had not read the decision, he did not desire to comment upon it.
 | St. Paul. March 14.-"The supreme court decision," said Judge Walter H | Sanborn, of the United States circuit court of appeals, to-day, allows the same line of reasoning as the decision given in the circuit court in the case and, so far as I have seen, confirms that decision in every respect I have | said what I think about the merits o1 this case in the circuit court decision 1 in which I concurred.
 ] Judge Thayer, who wrote the decis. ion; Judge Caldwell and myself were all agreed that the Northern Securities company clearly came within the pro.
 hibition of the antitrust act, and was within the meaning of that act, a trust 1 It appeared to us that the merger was
 manifestly holding company, the pri- mary object of which was to proven
 competition, and the supreme court ha. taken the same view"
 Omaha, March 14.--Former Senator Charles F. Manderson, general counse l for the Burlington railroad, one of tht lines affected by the supreme court de
 cision in the Northern Securities mer I ger case, said the decision would not, il l his opinion, either benefit or injure tn, general public. He stated that it would
 in no way affect the management of tn, three lines included in the merger-th, Burlington, Great Northern and North
 ern Pacific-and that each of then
 would continue to operate as separat,
 and competing corporations.
 New York, March 14.-J. J. Hill, presi dent of the Northern Securities com pany, received news of the decision a
 the company's offices in this city. MT Hill declined to discuss the matter ex
 cept to say:
 There is nothing to be said at thi'
 time. The properties of the Northerr Securities company are still there. The, are as good as ever.'
 MT. Hill intimated that he might hay,
 something to say as soon as he go lsome definite idea of the scope of tn,
 decision. He was in conference for som time after the news came with John S
 Kennedy who is one of the director and largest stockholders in the North
 ern Securities company.