Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1906-03-28

WIGeHA mental policy he had vigorously
N@41zA1 condemned less than year ago.
The Attorney General seldom goes In person even
to the Supreme Court OF the United sCates, so IL
was a particularly notable occurrence that Mr.
MOODY should travel thousand miles to appear
before mere trial court. That he should go there
to add especial force and effect to the declaration
that the present administration OF tine NauOhal
Government means to put the heavy hand OF pros
ecntion on the individuals who are personally
onitv rather than upon the corporations whose al
fairs they conduct in ways prohibited by law great
ly increased the significance and Importance Ol Cne
episode.
It is not very many months since former Az
torney General, Mr.. Harmon OF Cincinnati, ana
distinguished attorney of st. Louis, Mr.. JudSOD,
formally advised prosecution OF the officers OF the
Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company
instead OF the corporation which was tne meulum
through which their alleged unlawful acts were COM
mitted Mr. Moody found neither warrant IN law
justification in equity Tor TINS poncy, anu rresl
dent Roosevelt resented the advice OF Messrs. Har'
mon and JudsOn as an ingenious attempt OF two
Democratic lawyers to dscredit Republican ao-
ministration by dragging member OF MS CaOlDeO
into court on criminal charge
There was evidence that the Santa Fe Railway
CORPORATION had violated injunction sued out Dy
the Government, and the position taken by Harmon
and Judson was that the law put upon the manag'
ing officials OF the corporation the DurOen OF e4-
planatiOn under citation for contempt. Iney IN
sisted that the corporation could not act except
through it's agents in charge OF the department oy
which the act of contempt was commltted. rev
the administration refused to apply the doctrine OF
individual responsibility for corporate acllon tne
Attorney General is now invoking.
Mark how the administration changes front when
the immediate political family OF Mr.. Roosevelt Is
no longer threatened by the procedure. WINE Mr.
Paul Norton former official OF the Santa re BALL
way, was in the Cabinet it was unquallhedly wrong
10 nut the corporation aside to proceed az alnst ts
officers Now that the great meat packing cor
norations are under fire. Mr.. Moody comes out
from Washington to give all the weight OF mis- Of
fetal dignity to the argument that the law shOuiu
punish the guilty individuals-"the living, Dreatn
inO human beings''-and not waste its time IN pur.
suit of "a nerveess, senseless soulless creatlOn O'
law"
with his present policy is that he has been SO long
coming to q recognition OF its wisdom. he snoulu
have been prociaiming the same doctrine when
scrntiny of Secretary Morton's record was pro
nosed. 1t is no new discovery he announced IN
Chicago and he should not have hesitated to accept
and approve the advice OF Messrs. Harmon and
Tndson when they counseled the very line OF pro-
cednre the Government is following IN tue cases
AGAINST the Chicago packers Mr.. Moody Is AMI
mated now by all the fiery zeal OF the new convert
and he put this late adopted policy tO>the chicago
court in splendid phrases Indeed, ne stated u &C
effectively that we gladly repeat his eloquent pre-
sentation. be said: A
.arhe Government of the United States is toe
much in earnest in this prosecution to be deferred
To the pnrsuit of neIveless, senseess, s0ullest
creation OF the law. If wrong has been committeo
we are seeking the punishment OF the men Wne
committed the wrong-the living, breathing, nu
man beings The Government of the United States
and the people Of the United states VIII 90 satsheo
with no less than that"
a