The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-10-18
BONAPARTE BARES
TRUST INQUIRIES
Shows 70 of 228 Actions Under
Roosevelt Succeed and lis
Are Pending.
Democrats While in Power Started
Fifty Proceedings and Won
Only Fourteen.

Attorney General Bonaparte has
made public his reply to a letter from
Josephus Daniels, chairman of the
Democratic press committee at Chicago,
asking for facts connected with trust
prosecutions by the department of JUS
tice. including the present standing of
litigation against the trusts.
The reply gives summary of the
eases prosecuted substantially as furn-
ished in a report made public two days
ago. "a copy of which the attorney gen
eral forwarded to Mr.. Daniels.
Criminal Cnse Fines E1,2GO,325.
The attorney general says his depart
nlent has prosecuted all cases under the
Sherman antitrust or interstate COM
nerce laws that have been brought to
ais attention from responsible sources
where the facts disclosed warranted
such action. The attorney generals
letter says:
There have been instituted during
the administration of President Roose-
welt 223 proceedings, civil and criminal,
under these statutes. OF these 70 have
been concluded successfully, 40 have
been concluded unsuccessfully and 10
are pending The various fines imposed
tn criminal cases amount In the aggre-
gate to 81 ,260,325.
"Under previous Republican admins
tratlons there were instituted under
those laws "A civil and criminal pro
eeedlngs. of which Is were concluded
successfully 60 were concluded unsuc-
cessfully and one is pending. The
amount of fines imposed in these pro-
ceedings was SS,501.
Democrats Convict Only Fourteen.
''Under previous Democratic admin
fstrations there were instituted under
these laws fifty proceedings, civil and
criminal, of which fourteen We're CON
eluded successfully, thirty-five were
concluded unsuccessfully and one is
pending The fines imposed in these
proceedings amounted in the aggregate.
TO $4,000. could not inform you
how many corporations, in the aggre
gate. have been defendants in these
eases without an inquiry which would
be attended with considerable delay.
1.-THE number undoubtedly is large,
since in most of the civil proceedings
there have been numerous defendants
Of this character. For example. In the
suit In equity against the Standard Oil
Of of fr
there are about seventy corporations
as well as number of individuals
among the defendants.
1T is. of course needless for me to
say that the mere fact corporation or
association is called a trust by John
Moody in his manual does not prove.
or even tend to prove. that the organ
ization in question or its members have
been guilty of any violation of federal
laws Neither is such guilt suggested
by the fact such organization may do
large and apparently profitable bust
ness.
Same Policy 10 End of Term
"rhe criminal provisions of the stat
ate generally known as the Sherman
antitrust law apply only to those who
enter into contracts, combinations or
conspiracles in restraint of trade, and !
although the statute provides that such
contract, combination or conspiracy
shall be none the less criminal because
II takes the form of a trust, this does !
Rot, of course, make trusts of them |
selves criminal.
"Since | have been attorney general |
this department has prosecuted. either |
dyilly or crimnally, all cases of al |
ieged misconduct under the statutes
above mentioned which have been
brought to It's attention from a respon-
slble source and In which the results OF
Il careful inquiry by competent and inn
partial officers disclosed the existence
Of such facts and of such obtainabe
legal evidence to prove them as afford
ed reasonable hope Of success In such
prosecution. The policy of the depart
ment will be the same during the re-
mainder of my term OF Office"