The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-10-12

considerably bigger job than belna
merely an assistant attorney general
Not long ago this shrewd young pros
ecutor startled the lawbreaking cor
porattons by announcing a novel meth
cd Of procedure In trust busting. He
had suggested to the department Of
justice that In the prosecution OF the
tobacco trust the most feasible plan
would be the appointment OF a receiy-
e. for the concern. This was said to
be the plan agreed upon In that case.
Trust lawyers looked worried while
declaring that II couldn't be done. But
other good lawyers declared that II
could be done, and II II can Be done
IN the case OF the tobacco trust II can
be done In any other similar case.
Special Government Counsel.
Another Of the foremost trust bust
ers Is Frank b. kellogg. He b special
counsel for the interstate commerce
commission and as such led the inves-
dgation OF the Hartman railroad syo.
TEN. He insisted that Hartman per.
sonally should be prosecuted. Now be
is special counsel for the govarnmant
In the biggest trust busting filtration
OF all. the suit pending at st. Louis
against Standard OH. 1t Is the govern
ments contention that this gigantic
corporation should be dissolved and
the various properties IN the more
than seventy concerns controlled by
the Standard be redlstributed to the
original owners. Mr.. Kellogg lives IN
St Paul.
Kellogg himself is a trust attorney
He has represented for years the steel
trust in Minnesota. He still repre-
sents it. He gets $4,000 a year out
of this job. A few years ago the
Northern Securities company, which
later the government dissolved after
memorable litigation, needed political
influence. J. Pierpont Morgan was
dominant in steel as In to Northern
Securities company. James ]. Hill.
his great confederate In the latter
concern. one day told Mr.. Morgan
while In New York that he would like
to have this man Kellogg do certain
political work in Minnesota In the in
terests OF the business. Kellogg hap
pened to he in New York. and Nor
gan sent for him.
Il am LAWYER. not a politician, Mr..
Morgan" Kellogg is said to have re-
marked after the proposition was put
to him and also after some language
more sulphuroIs had been uttered. II
am glad TO do the steel corporations
legal work. but won't do its politics,
and much less win l do It's friends
politics. If II Is necessary for me to
become a polti, al orderly for corporate
interests in OF Ter to hold my job I'll
resign the job"
Kellogg did not resign, nor did be
become "A political orderly. Outside Of
steel he Is a consistent trust buster.
In the cases In tituted under Attorney
General Knox against the western pa
per trust Kellogg was special counsel.
He secured an Injunction dissolving It
into the minor concerns which com
posed 1t, and this precedent Is highly
useful In the St Louis suit against
Standard on Kellogg's coup put new
NV AAAAN AAlE auhAAEuNA AAWe
which most lawyers supposed had CIV
en- up the ghost He proved that a law
Il not a dead one so long as you can
stick a pin In 1t and make q viOlator
howl
Mr.. Purdy. by the way, did Just
about the same thing to the odd Elklna
law. which seems primarily to have
been designed for the protection Of
Wall streeters under the guise Of q
righteous statute. Purdy resurrected
the Elkins law and used II in putting
a quietus on railroad rebatmg, which
was almost universal.
Verify, he that breatheth the breath
Of life into a defunct statute and
maketh it sit up and kick is Of more
value to society than he that taketh q
city by the neck or gobbleth a railroad
system.
Another important man In the trust
busting fraternity Is Herbert Knex
Smith. commissioner Of the bureau Of
corporations. This bureau, organized
four years ago, Is one Of the most ef-
fective measures for the curling Of
corporate anarchy that we have.
James r. Garfield, now secretary Of
the interior, was the first commission
er. Mr.. Smith, who halls from Hart
ford. Conn, was his assistant for n
time, going to the head Of the class
when his chief was promoted 70 the
cabinet
Wise Beyond His Years.
Mr. Smith is not yet thirty-eight
years old. but be Is said to possess
wisdom beyond his years. Perhaps
enthusiasm is the litter term. II IL his
business to investigate corporations
which lay themselves liable to invest
cation. OF course he has a large and
able STAFF. but he directs the work
Just recently he has reported on the
Standard OF company. His letters q
transmission Of these several reports
to the president are admirable ep4t-
ONES Of the longer text The letters
CLEAN with positive statements. such
as these. which are backed up By the
bssaw oF fha ranur4.