The Paducah sun., 1906-03-24
Will Continue to Push the Beef
Trust Cases.
Commissioner Garfield Said Not to
Have Handled The Inquiry
With Judgment.
THE MEANS BEING DEBATED

Washington, D. c., March 24-The
department of justice Will decline to
accept as final the ruling of Judge
Humphrey that the packers as indi-
viduals are immune In this decision
the president stands squarely with
Attorney General Moody and his as
sociates.
If the case against the packers
cannot be appealed they will be pros
ecuted along other lines and under
new suits There is no intention on
the part of the administration of drop
ping the matter just because there is
an adverse decision. Instead of that,
one finds set jaws and determined
looks around the attorney generally
office.
The only question now is how best
to proceed. That the government will
map out a line of aggression and
take up the cases again can be def
nitely stated.
While there is no recrimination
among the administration officials 1t
is evident that much of the onus of
blame lies on Commissioner Garfield.
Even his closest friends admit re-
gretfully that he has not handled the
cases with tact, discretion and abil-
ity and foresight that could have
been hoped for
The present complication is large
ly due to his method of procedure. It
is all the more unfortunate that in
his Standard Oil investigation and
other cases he has proceeded along
identically the same lines, and it is
considered a bad augury for furthes
prosecutions in these cases that the
ruling of Judge Humphrey has been
given.
There was conference at the
White House yesterday lasting for
several hours. The president, Attor-
ney General Moody, Secretary Taft,
Commissioner Garfield and others
were present.
There was an instantaneous and
unanimous agreement to push the
cases against the corporations vigor-
ously, but the practical escape of the
individuals was a sore blow to the
administration, which had set its
heart upon accomplishing results and
securing convictions in these cases.
The first subject taken up was the
Iadvisability of appeal. The attorney
general was especially anxious TO ap-
peal but so far nothing has been
found to warrant an appeal. Then the
subject of proceedings against the
packers under a charge of violating
Justice Grosscup's injunction was dis
cussed There was no decision on this
The question of starting new pro-
ceedings upon new evidence was alst,
suggested and this was thoroughly
talked over but without result. There
was only one conclusion reached and
that was that something must be
done-and would be done.
Late last night Attorney General
Moody was in conference with Solicit
tor General Hoyt and his assistant,
Milton G.. Purdy. with the idea of
carefully reviewing the law to see If
under the present statutes an appeal
could be taken and sustained. The
attorney general clings to the hope
that he may find authority in the law
for an appeal and in case he does he
feels confident that the decision of
Judge Humphrey would be reversed.
All the power of the administra-
ton; all the brains that can be
brought to the aid of the govern
ment. every avenue and agency that
can be reached will be tried out to
find ways and means for overcoming
the reverse of the decision and going
ahead with the cases. Conferences
will go on daily until a decision is
reached and program mapped out.