New-York tribune., 1907-01-03
JUDGE LAUDS PRESIDENT
Justice Gaynor Tells Buffalo Attor-
neys of Their Responsibilities.

Buffalo. Jan 2-Justice William ] Gavnor or
brooklyn, was the principal guest the annual
uihher or the Lawyers Club here tonight. His
subject was The Responsibilities of the Bench and
Bar After addressing the assembled lawyers on
thelr responsibilities as lawyers Justice Gaynor
said, in part:
ednca H0g haze @ far higher responsibility You
ana ana government and have in that respect i'm
eVll. seventy per cent of the members OF eeis
latures are lawyers. They control the legislation
courts broke nm the co,nnnercial ,it -
meant the combination partnership together of
! eompetng corporations In the production of the
combinations maze by means of trust agree
mehts. For instance, twenty years ago the sixteen
@ sugar renhlng corporations entered into an agree
ment by which twelve trustees were appointed and
sicb trt sh 70 mes uusIees WIch OF course gave
a trustees absolute control of each of the corpo-
a unit. Thus sixteen Competing concerns We're
turned turned into one and competition among them de
stroyed ana prices controlled. In the very same
way way the thrty,nine different Standard Oil corpora
tons. dispersed all over the country and holding
no GaIters e rr2m the different states We're burned
I, TMew YORK and Ohio declared these, combinatons
so simple that all laymen understood them. They
We're that while the common law permits individ-
ualS TO unite in business and become CopartnerS
IL does not permit corporations to unite in bust
CON- 1I ptJome coparIners. no Such thns as
combinations of formerly competing corporations
was all very simple and such combinations to end
competition and substitute monopoly killed
by the courts a blow.
But what did the lawyers in legislatures
stratghtaway do? Why. they passed laws to
nullify the effect of these judicial decisions. They
passed statutes enabling the creation of corpora
tions to acquire and hold the shares of stock of
any other number Of corporations without limit.
Now. If corporation hold all of the CertIh-
Gates OF shares of stock of number of corpora
tions, they in that way he all united under
the control of such holding corporation After the
court decisions which | have mentioned such q
holding corporation formed TO hold all OF the
shares of stock OF the sixteen sugar corporations.
and another formed To hold all of the shares
OF stock Of the thrty-nine Standard oil corpora
tiOns and the certificates OF shares turned
over to these holding corporations. and in that way
the combination copartnership of these corpora
tions which the courts had declared Illegal was
perpetuated forever And the leading industries OF
the country have since been turned into monopo-
lies In the way. That has been the work of
the lawyers OF the country in our legislatures. 20
per cent of the membership Of our legislatures
being lawyers. as I have said. So YOU the law
Yer class has a responsibility far beyond their
mere professional work.
Justice Gaynor urged that President Roosevelt
be sustained i'm his efforts to abolish the greatest
crime OF the day-the destruction Of businesses and
of people by the giving of rebates and unfair ad-
vantages 10 others what sup
posed to he common carriers.
Some may think. said he. that il is queer for
Democrat 10 speak that way about a Republican
President, but I thank God President Roosevelt
has gone ar II as he has