Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-01-10
ROOSEVELT R0ORBACK
cckefeller Helped by Danger
GUS Morton Precedent.
TIE CORPORATION FALSE FACE.

.. Presidents DecisiOn That COrpo-
rsazIOns, hut Not officials, Are tie
,aonsible In Embarrassing In stand
"a Oil Cases-Six Years of BOnsttng
"a Trust Busting With No Results.
when President Roosevelt decided in
-. Santa Fe railroad rebate case that
81 corporation and not the officials
a. to be punished he created II prec-
lent that Is now coming home 70 the
70 ,seyelt rOost. He was so anxious to
AZ, Paul Morton, who was the official
,&t had ordered the Relating and who
.Mas member Of his cabinet, that the
;.-ushment Of similar trust lawbreak-
-: in the future was sacrificed to pro-
!iyt member Of the presidents house
N. The Roosevelt precedent is prov
boomerang in the case against
81 Standard Oil magnates. and their
y,pe from punishment under tho
t;fso ievelt ruling is probable. Even II
=, Standard Oil trust is convicted it
sauot be punished. for corporation
:. mot be imprisoned and fine would
= obviously inadequate for the Of
IL es charged and would be, partly at
i! t. paid by many innocent stock
l. -,.ers instead Of the real culprlts.
:. hen the president appointed those
:ay', celebrated lawyers, Messrs. Jud-
-. Harmon and Frederick N. Judson.
; "a Democrats. to investigate and re-
on the Santa Fe relating case
. ~ reported that Paul Morton. the
lager of the Santa Fe railroad.
enid be prosecuted and not the rail
rr'.l. Their argument was briefly:
no proceeding should be commenced
'.o,lt evidence. but facts presumed
.dicially noticed are evidence. The
..' Fceeding we recommend Is not I'M
nj or exceptional, but. on the con-
! y. Is the natural and ordinary one
-1ch cases.
hat we have said is peculiarly
OF the great corporations Of our
:. 3. They cannot be imprisoned, and
Z isllment by fine is not only made
tie, but reaches the real culprits
"-''7-' lightly, IL at all. The evils with
Itch we are now confronted are cor
tie in name, but individual in fact.
It is always personal So long rs
Gals can hide behind their corpora
- no remedy can be effective.
III the government searches out the
r y men and makes corporate wrong
'7"'g mean personal punishment and
''onor the laws will be obeyed."
II the case Of the state of Ohio
inst Mr.. Rockefeller and the Stand
Oil company the attorneys for
- Rockefeller took advantage Of
precedent set by President Roosc-
It IL the Paul Morton and Santa
railroad case. declaring that only
corporation and not Mr.. Rockefcl-
could be reached by the proceedings.
'''. Phelps. the attorney for tue state,
,wed the argument Of Messrs Har-
p, and Judson. contending that the
vitlual and not the corporation
lid be reached. declaring:
A corporation has no face except
'''-', face. 1t is mantle that covers
individuals in it, so that when the
Of the company, its president.
go Y,ks, that is the language Of the cor
tr~.ti0n itself"
IVY can those who have been de-
I'd into believing that President
/ ,,sevelt is really intent on prosecut-
a: and Furnishing the trust and corpo-
On magnates who conspire to plum
- the public for the benefit Of them
N .es and their associates excuse his
! 1nt intention to protect the real
breakers by creating the dangerous
'cedent in the Morton case? For six
Yrs President Roosevelt has been
sting of trust busting and control
- 81. corporations so that their unlawful
ctions from the people may be light
r.:ed and lifted, but can any one point
, a trust or corporation magnate con.
v.ctnd and in Jail as the result Of these
- $ of boasting? One such cOnvic-
~ and Jail sentence would have more
q trent effect on future trust and
'~"}oration plundering than all the adj
'uistration has done in the six years
"a is existence.