St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1907-12-25
Graft and Rebate Cases
Fill the Court Calendars.

Fill the Court Calendars.
The great chase started in 1906 with
the Roosevelt challenge to the Stand
ard Oil company and to all law defy
ing trusts has gathered impetus in
1907, when the whole pack of state
and federal law officers has been in
full cry after the game. The year will
long be remembered for the vicious
bite which the oil trust got from one
federal judge-namely, the $29,240.000
fine imposed AUG. 3 by Judge Lands
at Chicago as the maximum penalty
for accepting large number Of re-
bates from the Alton. But this was
only one Of large number of criminal
prosecutions laid against the Rockefel-
Ter aggregation. Indictments contain
ing thousands of counts were brought
in Ohio, Missouri, Texas. Tennessee,
Minnesota, New York and elsewhere
until the total maximum of fines posi-
bly, exceeded the probable income Of
the trusts. The principal action Of the
government for the dissolution of the
Standard Oil Company of New Jersey,
which was begun at st. Louis NOV. Is,
1906, still remains to be fought out, but
In his examination of witnesses at New
York in September Governments Coun-
sci Kellogg virtually pillored the oil
trust before the people by compelling
he, or iol To hN
esses through which it has monop-
olized the oil industry. Missouri and
Texas finally barred all Standard con-
Germs.
Other actions against so called trusts
were numerous, and rebate fines were
imposed in several cases.
The following are the sppreme court
decisions Of general interest: Dismissal
of the Kansas petition against diver
sion of Colorado river by the state Of
Colorado, involving the principle that
congress cannot limit the action Of
courts after creating them; the eight
hour federal workday law sustained;
rate fixing section of the federal law
sustained
Along with the building of a new
San Francisco there has been a
cleansing Of its official and political
rottenness. First, under pressure Of Gu
mulative evidence, came the fight and
confession of Abraham Ruef ne ger
of the corrupt city machine. in May.
His confession duplicating Mayor
Schmitz in the acceptance of brides
made possible the verdict Of guilty
rendered by jury against the mayor
MAY Is and his sentence JULY to
| five years Imprisonment, 1t also made
possible the indictments against sew
eral millionaire bride givers and the
conviction of one of them, Glass, who
received five year sentence.
Pennsylvania saw the work Of the
capitol investigators bear fruit.
Gradually District Attorney Jerome
of New York has got insurance evil
dence before the grand jury. and in
dictments have begun to issue against
officials, one of whom. Walter X. Gil
lette. former vice president of the Mu-
tual was convicted of perjury and
sentenced to six months.
When in July Judge Pritchard is
sued his federal order against the exc.
cution of the North Carolina rate law,
thus saving from the chain gang Off
Gals of the Southern convicted in state
court of having sold tickets for more
than the legal rate. Governor Glenn
arose in his might to back up the state
court Finally the Southern gave in
for the sake of peace and made a spe-
cial agreement with Glenn, Finlay re-
vising his petition so as to let the
cases take their course rapidly to the
supreme court for final test of the law.
Much the same situation existed in
Alabama, where Governor Conner was
equally resolute when the law was OPP
posed with injunctions granted by Fed
eral Judge Jones on one pretext or an
other The Minnesota rate law also
was held up by Federal Judge Loeb
ren's injunction in September. The
Pennsylvania railroad. after raising
Communication rates when the two cent
law went into effect SEPT. l, began 8
test case through the state courts.
1t is not within the purpose of this
history to recount the long list o.
crimes and criminal trials Of the yea
which were chiefly of interest in til,
localities where they occurred. Blu
the murder conspiracy charges brough
by the state Of Idaho against the off
eials of the Western Federation o
Miners in connection with the deaf
of former Governor Steunenberg wa
an event of national, even information
al Importance. Secretary Haywood, a
the strong man Of the federation, wa
the first to be placed on trial MAY
> after the whole country had been sti
red up by the preliminary efforts {
organized labor and the Socialist p
pers to raise funds for his defense AT
to get their view Of the matter befo
n 4, De-