The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-12-27

UNDER FEDERAL
LAWS PROPOSED
President TAFT Probably Will
Urge Immediate Lesis.
lation.
After Action Of the Supreme
Court.
SOME OPPOSITION Is EXPECTED.

Washington, Dec. 27-Serious con-
slderation is being given By President
Taft and leaders in congress. includ-
ing Senator Aldrich and Speaker Can
non, to the question of the advisa-
bility of attempting to enact a fed
leral Incorporation act in advance OF a
final judicial decision in the Standard
lOH dissolution case. There appears
to be an important difference of opin-
ion between Mr. Taft and his advisers,
who want him TO withhold the mess
age which he has announced he will
send to congress.
II is understood that Mr.. Taft fears
that business generally will suffer II
the supreme court affirms the finding
of the circuit court In the dissolution
case and that he strongly favors what
might be termed vaccination" of the
body corporate by the administration
of legislative remedy before the evil
appears.
On the other hand, congressional
leaders think such a course would
merely supply ammunition to the OPP
ponents OF the administration by Civ
ing them an excuse to charge that the
force of the Taft regime is being d.
rected toward creating a shelter for
monopolies."
Too Much Opposition.
III the president should submit his
recommendations soon after congress
.reconvenes, and should follow what Is
said to be his present inclination, he
would ask for the passage of a fed
|eral incorporation law without delay
on the ground that honest business
Is menaeed under the Interpretation
.of the Sherman antitrust act given
by the circuit court decision in the
Standard Oil case.
While the presidents view Is
shared by the leaders named, they
recognize the fact that there will be
serious opposition to any legislation
apparent.y calculated to narrow the
scope of the Sherman law. They be-
lieve that this opposition is so strong
that there would be a protracted con-
test over such d measure, and that it
would be the part of wisdom. there
fore, 10 await the decision OF the
supreme court.
Mr.. Taft, II is said, has reviewed
personally the evidence in the Stand
ard Oil case, with the result that he
believes the decision by the circuit
court correctly interprets the law; IL
so. he presumably expects that the
decree Will be sustained by the SUI
prepe court. The understanding of
those with whom Mr.. Taft has dis
cussed the case IS that he could recon
mend the enactment of a federal in
corporation law without becoming
amenable to charge that he was
seeking to prejudice the supreme
court.
That the present is an unpropitious
time to send such a message to con-
gress and no matter how cautious the
president might be in the wording of
his recommendation, a political issue
will certainly be made of it, is the
opinion Of the Republican leaders.
These leaders do not all agree that
the supreme court will sustain the de-
cision of the circuit court without
mitigating the force of that interpre-
tation of the Sherman law. They
point to the fact that the supreme
court sustained the right of congress
to enact the legislation contained In
the commodities clause of the Hep
burn law. but that 1t did so in a man
ner such as to make II virtually nom
effective. IL is suggested as not i'm
possible that decision with the
edge dulled" in like manner might be
handed down in the Standard Oil
case.
Past decisions by the supreme court
F, in cases brought under the Sherman
antitrust law have in the main con-
firmed the constitutionality of the
law and have given to 1t the broadest
application, II Is argued. neverthe-
less. In view of the far-reaching effect
OF the recent decision in the Standard
Oil case upon corporations generally
both good and bad, congress may
well be asked by the president to take