The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-24
GOVERNMENT Is ON
TRIAL, NOT PACKERS
Beef Trust, with Army Of Coun-
sci and Sleuths, Has Prose-
cution on Defensive.
Special to The Journal.


beef trust-dictator of the price of the
world IS meat supply,-is on trial in the
federal court in Chicago, the real facts
are that the government itself is on
4 trial. :. 80, *. -. r. Fl
By strategic move the packers have
turned and placed the government on
trial and temporarily escaped them
selves; .'.. .."<s. E....- ~. r. < -
The beef combine has made charges
against the legislature, against Commits
sioner of Corporations James r. Gar
field, against the United States attor-
ney general, and against the president
himself.
1t has filed special pleas accusing the
government of having promised its
packers immunity if they would open
their books and lead Mr.. Garfield to
? discover whether or not there was a beef
trust. 49,.
It has accused Mr.. Garfield Of having
turned the evidence he secured from the
packers into the grand jury's hands to
be used in indicting the trust members.
A jury has been selected out Of
venire Of 14S northern Illinois farmers
to try the government on these charges
Rests With Jury.
If the jury decides the government to
be guilty as charged, the packers will
go free. Under such circumstances they
cannot be prosecuted even tho they
have violated the law by conspiring to
regulate the prices of the world s beef
supply. The constitution provides that
= man cannot be compelled to testify
against himself.
This, in brief, is the exact and amaz-
.,to oG Ioo in bo
United States district court in Chicago.
It is not the construction given, how
ever, either by the attorneys for prose
cution or defense. 1t is the status as
found to exist by wading thru mass
of legal documents and sitting thru a
days session.
A days session Of the beef trial oc-
cupies four hours-from 10 o'clock in
the morning until -, and from 2
O'Clock in the afternoon until 4. Five
minute adjournments are taken in the
middle Of each session.
- Great Legal Battle
The fight is undoubtedly one Of the
greatest legal battles of it's kind that,
ever occurred in the United States
Sixteen beef barons are struggling to
escape the penalty of years imprison-
ment in jail All are fabulously
wealthy. They have ruled the railroads,
mastered the markets, dominated the
world of finance
Thirty-fve lawyers are battling in
the courtroom in last desperate stand
to prevent their millionaire, clients from
being tried. These trust attorneys
combined salaries amount to $7,OO0#a
day, or $2,5O0,0O0 year, if their. serv-
ices would be required that long.
-. One attorney is arrayed against them
in the courtroom in behalf of the gov
eminent and the people. His salary is
$4,000 year. ;.
Two Hundred Against One.
Two hundred of the foremost law
yers Of the United States are aiding the
counsel for the beef trust by advice and
- suggestion Hordes of detectives are
securing this federal district to look up
the records of the jurors in whose hands
the beef trust s case is intrusted.
The one government attorney is aided
by one, sometimes two and possibly
three, advisory assistants. He looked
up the records of the veniremen by
questioning them in the courtroom.
@ In the many preliminaries Of the case
the government attorneys, United
States District Attorney w. R. Morri
son, and his assistants, Elwood Goodman
and Robert W. Childs, have showed
themselves abundantly able to care fo1
the people, interests. o..
The one thing that may defeat tria
of the packers is the cleverness of thu
trust attorneys in making the plaintiff
q defendant.
/. l.
take the stand, it is said, and testif,
that Mr.. Garfield did promise them i'm
munity. The scene will be one of tn,
most notable in the Chicago courts.
Federal Defense.
The government has prepared stag
gering defense to the charges made b,
the packers, according to District At
torney Morrison. He confidently ex
poets that the jury will decide the spe
cial plea in favor of the government
and make it necessary for the beef trus
to stand trial.
~~e 1t is promised that Mr. Garfield wi
furnish the surprise. The seal of silenc
will be removed from the commission
er's lips for the first time when he take
the stand, and he will lay bare all til
inner details of the government 8 IL
vestigation Of the 100000 con
bine.
He will relate his conversations wit
the packers, his personal experiences g
the stockyards, his private reports
President Roosevelt, and the momentor
secret conferences at Washington whic
have led up to the criminal prosecute
of the meat millionaires. ..
Garfeld's Story. 49,.
- Garfield will swear that the packe
offered-even pleaded for the chance
to confess everything if he would Il
them swear to their testimony and thu
secure the protection of the immunit
law. ....
He will testify that he steadfast
refused to put the oath on the packer
after reporting their desires to Was
ington and comforting with Presidel
Roosevelt, Secretary Cortelyou and A
torney General Moody, who ordered tn
the packers be denied the privilege
making a confession.
{ Garfield will allege specific instanc
In which the packers refused him info
nation, giving as the reason that