Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1907-09-04
Man Who Made S29.24O.OOO
Fine Possible Has Two
Brothers in New
Mexico.
He PROPOSES TO
keep UP CAMPAIGN
TO Prison With Them" Is His
Motto When Working on Cases
of Corporation Law Break
erS---Further ProseCu-
tiOnS Likely.

Chicago, ILL.,, Sept 4.-Edwin s.
Sims, the strenuous United States dis
trlct attorney who made possible the
S29, 100000 fine against the Standard
Oh company, and who. by strict ad-
herence TO the Roosevelt policy has
frightened the big corporations into
good behavior, is a brother of Her
bert and Harry Sims. owners of the
Valley Ranch on the Upper Pecos
river In New Mexico.
In a recent interview in Chicago,
Edwin 5. Sims announced his policy
concerning the numerous inVestiga-
uons now under way in Chicago. l.
is:
Keep right after them"
Mr.. Sims says that ne does not be-
lieve the laws governing corporations
are perfect. but that their rigid en-
torcement has already, compelled rail-
roads to reform and has renewed the
confidence of the people in tn ability
OF the government to control the big
trusts.
In conclusion Mr.. Sims points out
new era in control of corporations
and restoration of competition in
business.
Sitting at his office desk he paused
long enough in his preparations for
fall campaign of trust-busting to
say:
THE policy Of my office will be a
rigid enforcement of all the laws.
"Violators of federal 81 tutes. large
OF small, corporate ol lnoiFSft9c ~, 'NTSa
be held to a strict accountability
No Favorites.
Large corporations which violate
the law will be treated in exactly the
same way as We treat the mail rob
Der or the counterfeiter.
'SI'ha tima pnna bt-
size of wealth or influence Of an Of
tending corporation can be success
fully used to protect IL from prose-
cution for its illegal acts.
Prosecutions by this office are not
Instituted and carried on simply be-
cause a corporation is a corporation,
but because we discover that it Is
the law.
The corporate form of doing busi-
ness Is without doubt the most con-
venient and the only practical form.
"One Of the fundamental difficult
ties with the present situation, how
ever, is that the state and federal
laws for the regulation and control
of corporations have not kept pace
with the development of corpora
tions.
The laws which deal with indi-
viduals are the growth of centuries
and have therefore reached a high
degree of perfection. owing to a
lack of laws, which properly regulate
the corporation. the individual, act
Ing through the corporation, is en-
abled to do many things which If
done by him individually would be
ought Not to BE.
This ought not to be. The cor
pOratiOn Is a creature OF the law, |
and tho state Laws nrnNihinq -
creation and the national laws regu-
ating its conduct of interstate COM
merce should be such as to make ii |
impossible for ii to act
illegally without forfeiting its char |
ter or its right to carry on inter- |
state commerce.
The public Is undoubtedly very
thoroughly aroused as to the neces- |
5ity of a more thorough regulation |
IF corporations.
Il believe that many Of the radi- |
al and socialistic ideas which have |
Deen advanced were due to the be- |
ief that the government was unable |
% cope with conditions and deal with |
great corporate combinations.
1T has been demonstrated that this |
5 not the fact. The presidents firm |
and active determination 10 enforce |
al of the laws has, without doubt, |
the confidence Of the small |
business man 10 "a very large degree.
THE president in his campaign |
against law-breaking corporations and |
Illegal trusts has demonstrated that |
he government as IL now exists has
utticieut power 10 punish any Offend
IT no matter how great and power
al.
Demand of People
THE people have carefully studied
he question and will without doubt
emand that the state and national
legislatures enact laws to regulate
he conduct of corporations.
ITO my mind laws which hold the
ireCtOrs and officers of corporations
Individually responsible for Offenses
'hich they know the corporation is
and provide for impris-
nment, will go a long way toward
diving the problem.
The enforcement Of the conspiracy
Avs, which carry with them a per-
pual Imprisonment penalty. has con-
lusiyely demonstrated the correct
ess of this view. While prosecution
nd conviction are much more diff
ult, the effect is far greater.
The effect Of the presidents de- !
armination TO compel corporations
} obey the laws is already evident. !
1T Is notorious that a few months
60 the granting Of rebates by rail-
Dads was almost universal Re
Orts submitted then indicated that
he railroads were continual and per-
stent viOlators Of the interstate
)mmerce laws IL
As a result Of the vigilance ofIi
le governments a number OF the