Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-27
BUT FEW CONVICTIONS
Application of Sherman Anti
Trust Law Criticised.
.LITTLEFIELD TO LAWYERS
Addresses Meeting Of the Illinois
Bar Association.
AGAINST AMENDMENT IN VIEW
Objects to Placing in the Hands OF
Bureau Power to Reg
ulate Business.

CHICAGO. June 27.-Representative
Charles E. Littlefield of Maine. address
ing lawyers and jurists at the closing
session here yesterday of the annual
meeting of the the Illinois Bar Associa-
ton, made caustic criticism of the ap-
plication Of the Sherman antitrust law
He declared that the law itself is indef-
mite. branded proposed amendments to the
act as an attempt to infuse life into
something lifeless, and closed with
yelled attack upon President Roosevelt.
After questioning the efficiency Of the
antitrust law on the ground that 1t leaves
too much to the discretion of juries as to
the ''reasonableness or unreasonableness'
of actions which might restrain trade, he
endeavored to show that no similar laws
with indefinite provisions ever had beer
or ever could be enforced. He said:
Senator Lodge. in the republican ma
tional convention, said that President
Roosevelt had enforced the laws as he
found them on the statute book. The re-
ported platform congratulates itself on
the enforcement of all the laws. In the
| light of cases have cited to you 1t would
seem that proclamation and not perform
ance constitutes enforcement Of the law.
1.-The distinguished publicists think
fear they are facing a prison cell for
doing business under modern methods.
do not think that this apprehension has
any real foundation"
Only Seven Convictions.
The speaker pointed out that bat seven
convictions had been secured under the
Sherman law since September IA, 1901.
and continued:
1T may be that the predatory rich are
lurking in every corner and that malefac-
tors of great wealth abound. II this be
TRUE and they have been going about
seeking whom they may devour.' the ex-
tent to which the wicked have thus far
gone unwhipped of justice borders upon
the grotesQue. The whole subject to
which conspiracies In restraint of trade
relate is an equation. On the one hand
you have labor and on the other capital
You hear more of capital in association
with restraint of trade than you do of
labor. and then, again. little Is said about
a conspiracy tending to create monop-
oily. After all. 1t is not a bad thing that
capital exists that II may provide for
the existence of labor"
Amendment Proposed.
Referring to the proposed amendment to
the antitrust law. Representative Little
field said:
when 1t becomes necessary to give
force to a law by that process the act
does not commend itself to my good judg-
ment. The amendment is said to have the
object Of requiring all corporations or in
dividuals who seek to get the benefit OF its
| provisions to register themselves with
the bureau Of corporations that they may
have conferred upon them benefits and
privileges that do not exist under the law.
1 may say here that l am at all times
opposed to placing In the hands of any
| administrative bureau the power to super
wise and regulate the business Of S7,OOO. UO0
| Of people. But the most serious legal OBJ
| lection is the fact that 1t would invalidate
| the penal character of the act. If this
| was invalidated there would not be
enough of the act left for any extended
| discussion.