The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-11-08
FIRST TRUST BUSTER
COMING AS SENATOR
Honest Lawyer Found by Western Farmers Has Long
Untiring Fight Winning His Way to Final
Success.
By J. c. WELLIVER.


first performance in trust busting was
successfully staged in this country
Some recent political events recall tn,
occasion and give point 70 recountiug
OF some of its incidents.
The Barbed Wire trust had made il.
self especially obnoxious TO the Western
farmers, who at that time required this
wire TO fence the new empire of farms
beyond the Mississippi The trust had
secured control Of a series of patents
and in addition had plenty OF money
1t was fast driving everybody out OF
the business and raising prices at about
the same rate Of speed that it strength
ened its control of the business.
The Farmers Alliance was deeply con
cerned about the matter. and ia one
Western State it decided to take steps
TO make an effective fight. Ia tha5 par
ticulaF State the independent barbed
wire factories were being closed, one by
one because the trust either undersold
them OF else secured iniunctions against
their processes under the patent laws
Finally the alliance named a committee
of leaders TO hunt up a lawyer on whom
dependence could he placed and get him
To make the fight.
The committee tried out two or three
lawyers, who failed 10 make good. Then
it decided on d last effort, and OF, in
uuirS- was. referred to y young man who
had been for some years practiclEg law
in the capital city of the State.
Were told that you're an honest
lawyer" said the chairman Of the com
mittee, when they presented themselves
at the offices Of the young lawyer who
had been brought under this suspicion.
I've been trying 10 be Cne,' replied
the young man modestly
We'll, we've got a case here that viii
give you chance tO prove it. Do YOU
want to take this barbed wire case?"
The young man didn't know whether
he did or not; but il they would give
him a few days to look into it he
would report. He looked in, and decid-
ed that there was a good chance to win
it. He was hired on the spot.
The case presently became a cause
celebre. 1t was fought in the State
and Federal courts. and went repeated
~ to the Supreme Court of the United
States Sometimes the young lawyer
was beaten, sometimes he won The
contest continued for years. and at last
determined the rank of the young law
yer. who suspected himself OF being
honest, as one of the. great lawyers of
his part of the country. He had bust
ed the trust"
The committee came around TO see
him again. The independent wire fac
tories were reopening, and wire was
getting cheaper.
I'VE wanted 10 know what your fee
would be- explained the chairman.
The lawyer said he would let them
know when he could figure on the mat
ter At the next discussion OF the mat
ter he laid before the committee a
statement Of the expenses he had in
CURED during the litigation. He would
like 10 have them paid. He didn't care
for anything much else
The fee was paid
The young lawyer became attorney
for various railroads and other big in
teTests in his State. bot he wasn't
an orthodox railroad lawyer. for his
times. He wouldn't lobby. He would
plead his case. but he wouldn't lobby:
which was very irregular. because he
had come to be a good deal of a poll
tician, and his Influence" would have
been a fine asset before legislative COM
mittees and conventions. He always
explained that it was one thing ne
couldn't sell.
The young lawyer finally decided that
there was too much Influence in
politics. and announced that he was 60
ing to run for Senator. He didn't ike
the notion of the railroads eIecting the
Senator, and concluded to test the mat
ter out with the people.
He found q surprisingly large number
Of people who agreed with him, and his
canvass Of the state developed a sharp
division into factions When the cleo
ton was over he had elected a majority
Of the Legislature, pledged to support
him for Senator. But the opposition
bought off three or four men, and he
was defeated.
Instead Of quitting, the young man an
nounced a few days later that he would
be a candidate for governor.
There was another year-lOng fight for
that nomination. The factional lines
were drawn sharper than ever. More
money than before was dumped into the
fight against the upstaTt lawyer 1t
was officially announced from the Of
fee of the chief political boss Of the
state that the interlOper was TO be
pounded into the earth" Well, they
pounded At him for a long time, but he