The state herald., 1908-10-16
bONAPARTE BARES
TRUST INQUIRIES
Shows 70 Of 77S Actions Under
Roosevelt Succeed and us
Arc Pending.
Democrats While in Power Started
Fifty Proceedings and Won
Only Fourteen.

attorney General BOnaparte mas
made public his reply to 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
cases prosecuted substantially rs furn-
lshcd in report made public two days
ago, copy OF which the attorney gen
eral forwarded to Mr.. Daniels.
Criminal Case Fines sI,.0O,a:S.
The attorney general says his depart
ment has prosecuted all cases under the
Sherman antitrust or interstate com.
merce laws that have been brought to
his 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. or these 10 have
been concluded successfully, 40 have
been concluded unsuccessfully and 1l5
are pending. The various fines imposed
In criminal cases amount in the aggre-
gate to Sl,2G0,325.
Under previous Republican admins
trations there were instituted under
those laws "a civil and criminal pro-
ceedings, of which Is were concluded
successfully. 90 were concluded unsuc-
cessfully and one is pending. The
amount OF fines imposed In these pro-
ceedings was SS.Jol.
Democrats Convict Only Fourteen.
Under previous Democratic admin
istrations there were instituted under
these laws fifty proceedings, civil and
criminal. Of which fourteen were CON
cluded successfully, thirty-fve were
concluded unsucccssfully and one Is
pending. The fines imposed In these
proceedings amounted In the aggregate,
TO $4,000. conld not inform you
how many corporations. In the aggre.
gate. have been defendants In these
cases without an inquiry which would
be attended with considerable delay.
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
Company OF New Jersey and others
there are about seventy corporations
as well as number OF individuals
among the defendants.
at Is, OF course. needless for me to
say that the mere fact a corporation or
association IL called n 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 busl-
ness.
Same Policy Co End Of Term
The criminal provisions OF the stat.
ute generally known ms the Sherman
antitrust law apply only to those who
enter into contracts. combinations or
conspiracies 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 trust. this does
not, Of course. make trusts OF them.
selves criminal.
Since ] have been attorney general
this department has prosecuted. either
civilly or crimlnally. all cases OF nj.
legged misconduct under the statutes
above mentioned which have been
brought TO Its attention from a respon.
slblc source and In which the results OF
a careful inquiry by competent and I'm,
partial officers disclosed the existence
of such facts and OF such obtalnablC
legal evidence TO prove them as afford
ed n reasonable hope OF success In such
prosecution, The policy of the depart.
mcnt viii be the same during tho ro-
malndcr OF my term OF Office"