Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-01-17
Graft and Rebate Cases
Fill the Court Calendars.

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 S2l3. .2240. .O00
fine imposed AUG. by Judge Lands
ut Chicago as the maximum penalty
for accepting large number OF re-
bates from the Alton. But this WAS
only one OF large number Of criminal
prosecutions laid against the Eockefel-
Ing thousands Of counts were brought
III Ohio. Missouri. Texas. Tennessee.
Minnesota, New York and elsewhere
until the total maximum Of fines pOssi-
bly, exceeded the probable income of
the trusts. The principal action of the
government for the dissolution Of the
Standard OH Company Of New Jersey.
which was begun ut St Louis NOV. 10,
1906. still remains to be fought out, but
IN his examination Of witnesses at New
York I'm September Governments Coun-
Sci Kellogg virtually pilloried the oil
trust before the people by compelling
its officials to reveal the various proc
esses through which 1t has mOnop-
oliZed 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 a new
San Francisco there has been a
cleansing of its official and political
rottenness. First. under pressure Of Gu
mulatlve evidence. came the flight and
confession Of Abraham Ruef. manager
Of the corrupt city machine. IN May.
His confession duplicating Mayor
Schmitz In the acceptance OF bribes
made possible the verdict OF guilty
rendered by jury against the mayor
MAY IL and his sentence JULY 8 to
ive years imprisonment 1t also made
possible the Indictments against sew
cral millionaire bribe givers and the
conviction Of one Of them. Glass, who
received five year sentence.
Pennsylvania saw the work OF the
capitol Investigators bear fruit.
Gradually District Attorney Jerome
Of New York hns got insurance evi-
dence before the grand jury. and In
dictments have begun to Issue against
officials. 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 chain gang off,
Gals 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 a spe-
cial agreement with Glenn. Finlay re-
vising his petition 80 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
Alabama. where Governor Conner was
equally resolute when the law was on
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 Injunction in September. The
Pennsylvania railroad. after raising
communication rates when the two cent
law went into effect SEPT. !. began q
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 year
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,
cials 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, a.
the strong man Of the federation, was
the first to be 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
to get their view Of the matter before
tho public-namely, that the whole
case was conspiracy Of the mine
owners to crush the federation. The
publication Of the Roosevelt ietter
CHASING the accused men along with
Hartman as undesirable citizens"
had famed the controversy into in
tense heat. The result was seen to de-
pend mainly on the ability Of the state
to cOrrObOrate the Orchard confession.
e>>~S ~fhhAoho 0ihClSup Ouk AZ TIC CA40
the jury voted mo" after considering q
vast amount Of testimony on both
sides and hearing the lengthy pleas OF
barrow and Richardson for the de-
fense and Of Borah and Hawley for
the state. for they brought In the &C.
Quittal verdict JULY %. and Hay
wood walked forth free and, as his
friends believed, vindicated man. In
deed. he was talked Of as the coming
Moses to lead the Socialist hosts out
OF the wilderness. His enemies said
the jury was intimidated into the YER
dict. President Meyer was released on
heavy bail, but Pettibone was held
and put on trial In December.
Several other trials for capital crimes