The Washington herald., 1907-08-13

John Rockefeller and Edward Harr1-
man VIII stand. before long. in the Grim
inal dock, If Attorney General Bonaparts
can put them there with the conviction
that ne can land them in the peniten-
tiary.
The Attorney General was at his desk
bright and early yesterday morning. after
his vacation at Lenox On his way to
Washington he stopped of at-Oyster Bay
and discussed with President Roosevelt
the question Of the criminal prosecution
OF the men who are at the head OF the
great corporations whose defiance OF the
laws this administration is determined 70
stop.
II is clear that President Roosevelt and
Attorney General Bonaparte are entirely
agreed that the most effective way TO
make the corporations obey the laws iB
TO punish the men BY terms in the peni-
tentiary, and not merely assess fines upon
the corporations.
There was general air Of unwonted ac-
tivity about the department Mr. Bona
parte had scarcely reached his once be-
fore messengers were summonlng TO him
the Assistant Attorney General and other
s''bordinstes 10 whom he had intrusted.
during his absence, the investigation OF
charges against offending corporations,
and the men who were the chief offenders.
More Prosecutions Promised.
AS the result Of their reports. and Of
Mr.. Bonsparte's instructions to them.
there viii be renewed activity by the de-
partmsnt IN prosecutions all over the
country of violations Of the Sherman
antitrust law and OF the Hepburn ral-
road law.
Mr. Bonaparte seemed thoroughly
pleased with himself and With the work OF
his subordinates yesterday afternoon.
His vacation had evidently agreed with
him, and the work that lay before him
seemed congenial.
Mr- Bonzparte talked freely. and with
that delightful tinge OF sarcastic ~humer
that makes an interview with him de-
light, even when x Is unprofitable But
yesterday Mr. Bsaaparte chose to drop
what he himself styles his 'delphic and
oracular'' tone.
The department. he said. will prose
cute IN tbs criminal courts any man
against whom II can ind the evidence to
convict Il is not my purpose 10 waste
time or effort on mere underlings or
subordinstes. As I said not long ago.
il is difficult for the lay mind to see how
a corporation can be guilty OF violating
the laws, and how the president or tbs
directing spirit Of that corporation can
be innocent.
Trust Presidents Acquitted.
I'VE tried in New York not long ago,
in the case OF the licorice trust, 10 convict
the presidents OF the corporations, as
well as the corporations themselves. but
the jury found the corporal ton guilty. but
acquitted the presidents. The presidents
Of these big corporations are usually ex-
cellent gentlemen Of high moral standing
in their communities, Of unexceptionabls
private life. and usually they stand high
in church work
81 suppose the tender-hearted Jury
thought IL would be cruel to put such ex-
cellent men /as the presidents Of these
corporations behind prison bars in cheer
less cells, where. I am told. life lacks the
comfort and the refnements to which
corporation presidents are as q rule, ac-
customed
However We are going 10 try It again.
We are gathering evidence. and are max
ing every preparation TO. bring to justice
some Of the Dig men at the head Of the
corporations which have persistently de-
fed the law"
DO you mean Mr. Hartman and Mr..
Rockefeller"
Not Mentioning Names.
7 cannot specify any gentlemen" he
replied. There IS a big covey Of game.
and It would be poor marksman, indeed.
who could not bag two OF three oirds
when he starts after them. We do not
want to go into court until We can accom-
plish something that will be likely 10
make an impression on the gentlemen
whom We are after.
Just as I said q moment ago. that We
are after the real men and not the mere
understrappers, Just so We hope TO secure
convictions that viii mean not a mere
term Of a month or two in some COM
Portable Jail, with all modern improve
ments, but a stiff sentence OF a few years
in the penitentiary that VIII make a
wholesome impression upon the gentleman
who serves the term, and which viii be,
at the same time, a salutary and impress
sive lesson to others. that they may re-
pent OF their evil ways"
Mr.. Bonaparte viii remain here about
two weeks. He returns 10 Lenox August
a. but all the intervening time viii be de-
voted to making arrangements for the
further prosecution of offending corpora
tons, or Of perfecting the cases already in
the courts.
Special Attorney Reports.
Mr.. Bonaparte received a telegram yes
terday from Mr.. Kellogg, one of the spe-
cial attorneys Of the department. who f.
prosecuting the Standard Oil. saying that
testimony viii be taken in New York Sep
tember in the st. Louis case, which has
for its ambitious aim the dissolution Of
the standard oil trust
There was nothing new, he said. IN the
Smelter trust. So far as the Sugar trust
was concerned, he knew Of no conteni-
plated action at this moment.
It dou't know anything about our get
ting after the coffin trust. he said. But
I have been asked to take up the laundry
women's trust"
The Elkins law he said in answer
to a question. is working very well so
far as l have been able to observe. The
Hepburn law, you know. strengthened the
Elkins law very materially in this. that
il provided for imprisonment Of offenders
on conviction, as we'll as only fines. as
. xvaa t-r.cee oe 17is-f--