La Junta tribune., 1908-01-04
Graft and Rebate Cases
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 lie remembered for the vicious
bite which the oil trust got from one
federal judge namely. the S2a.olo.uoo
fine imposed AUG. ) 10y Judge lands
ut Chicago as the maximum penalty
for accepting n large number OF re-
bates from the Alton. But this was
only one of a large number OF criminal
prosecutions lnid against the Rockcfci-
Ter aggregation. Indictments contain
Ing thousands of counts We're brought
In Ohio, Missouri, Texas. Tennessee.
Minnesota, New York and elsewhere
until the total maximum of fines possi-
bly, exceeded the proba BILE income of
the trusts The principal action of the
government for the dissolution of the
Standard oil Company OF New Jersey.
which was begun ut ST. Louis NON. IL,
1906. still remains to lie fought out. but
in his examination Of witnesses mt New
York In September Governments Coun-
sci Kellogg virtually pilloried the oil
trust before the people by compelling
Its officials TO reveal the various proc
esscs through which 1t has nonop-
olizcd 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 supreme 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 new
San f'rancisco there has been
cleansing of Its Ofiicial and political
rottenness. First. under pressure Of Gu
mulative evidence. came the flight and
confession OF Abraham Rnef, manager
OF the corrupt city machine. In May.
His confession duplicating Mayor
Schmitz In the acceptance OF brihes
made possible the verdict Of guilty
rendered by II jury against the mayor
MAY 1.i and his sentence JULY 3 to
five years imprisonment. 1t also made
possible the indictments against sew
eral millionaire bribe. givers and the
t,tf ~ - hn
received five year sentence.
Pennsylvania saw the work OF the
capitol Investigators bear fruit.
Gradually District Attorney jerome
OF New York has got insurance evi-
dence before the grand jury. and In
dictments have begun to issue against
ofIiciiJs. 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 chafn grng OIL
cials 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 spe-
cinl 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
Ala ma, where Governor Conner was
equally resolute when the law was op-
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 tnjunctIon in September. The
Pennsylvania railroad. after raising
Communication rates when the two cent
law went Into effect SEPT. i. began a
test case through the state courts
1t IL not within the purpose Of this
history TO recount the long list of
crimes and criminal trials OF the yenr
which were chiefly OF interest In the
localities where they occurred But
the murder conspiracy charges brought
By the state OF Idaho against the Off
cialx Of the Western Federation of
Miners In connection with the death
Of former Governor Steunenberg was
an event of national. even information
al, importance. Secretary Haywood as
the strong man Of the federation. was
the first to le placed ON trial NAY 8
after the whole country had been stir
red up by the preliminary efforts Of
organized labor and the Socialist pa
pers to raise funds for his defense and
tn get their view Of the matter before