The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-09-05

MAY DEFY ROOSEVELT
Has Bonaparte Letter Explaining Gov
ernment Position and Promise
Which Are Said to Be Un-
satisfactory to Him.

aasiiagtci. d q. Sect AZ IN
ttafnfetgd here. Ju1gc Lauiis rafasa
to act at once un Attorney Genera
Bonapartes Interpretation If the ad
ministrations promise Of immunity
to the Alton means q purpose on his
palt IT, drag forth every detail CT the
,isal between the Roosevelt admins
tration and the Alton.
Taking advantage Of the Knox i'm
munity statute. passed by the last
session Of congress so as to make
further immunity baths for corpora
/ tions impossible, Judge Lands, 1t ~
thought, intends prosecuting not only
the Alton corporation. but the Bur
lington and the Chiiago & Eastern
Illinois. Those roads gave conces-
sions to le Standard and then con-
tessed to the grand jury.
In addition to what he said in court,
Fit is believed the judge intends to
prosecute come official or employe of
the Alton for perjury In carrying
out such a program every fact CON
cerning the deal between the admins
tration and the Alton would have to
be laid bare.
Would Have to Plead immunity.
This barring Of the immunity ar.
Irangements win be compelled II Judge
Lands permits the grand jury to in
dict the Alton or any of its officials.
1.-THE Alton as a bar to the prosecution,
/ viii have to plead the promise OF i'm
munity BY Attorney General Moody
Iacting upon the advice and consent
10 fthe White House. The plea will
have to be argued before Judge Laa,
dis in an open proceeding,
President Roosevelt may have to
bring the weight Of his whole admin,
istfatson to bear ia behalf Of TIE
lpromise made for him by Mr.. Morri-
son then district attorney who aated
Ionly after constellation with the at
torney general
| he promise of freedom from prose
cution was made by Morrison in June,
/ 1906. Twelve weens ago Morrison
! told Attorney General Bonanarte he
| intended the promise to cover nat
only individuals but the corporation,
After the promise the Knox statute
| was passed declaring the meaning
l0f the immunity section Of the In
terstate Commerce Act to be that
| the immunity was to extend only -
persons. That statute was assed so
as to maae impossible any more i'm
munity baths, such as had been given
to the Beef Trust
| Lands Wants to Prosecute.
| IT is believed at the Department Of
Justice that Judge Landis intends try
ling to evada the spirit of Morrison's
| promise to the Alton. Also, District
| ttorney Sims while here cvalled the
attention Of Mr.. Bonaparte to the fact
that F. G. Pollands traffic clerk, In
tostifying before the petit jury, show
I'd an astcnishingly defective men,
| rv while before the grand jury he
Remembered many things that show
ed the preference given the Stand
ard by the Alton.
Judge Landis once suggested that
he had better leave the stand and re-
tire from the court room, and when
addressing the jury the Judge threw
cut suggestion that some of the
testimony given at the trial ought to
bo laid before the Grand Jury with 2
view to having its attention called u
t,onHictinG statements which might b.
iconsidered as indicating perjury.
That Judge Landis can have the
Alton and other roads prosecuted
even against the wish of the admins
tration, is freely admitted by lawyers
at the Department of Justice. Attor
ney General Bonaparte may refuse to
prosecute. but that cannot prevent
Judge Lands appointing an attorney
to handle any indictments voted bs
the grand jury.
Grand Jury Not Tied.
! There is no check upon the gran
'',ry. and promises of immunity dC
.-t tie its hands The first success
| ful prosecution of trust took plaC
IN California against the protest o.
f-e district attorney. The grand iurl
voted indictments. and so clear Wa
1.-THE case against teh salt company il
question that it pleaded guilty an'
was fined $1,000.
Should the district attorney refus.
to take any hand in the prosecution
Judge Landis could fine him for con
tempt for refusing to obey orders o
the court. But there is no probabilit'
Of any such conflict between the judg'
and District Attorney Sims. The lat
teg. apparently is in full sympath,
with Judge lands. II forbidden Il
proceed in the matter it is believe'
Sims would resign frem the Depart
lment of Justice and attend to th'
! case under the direction Of lands.
Z I