The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1909-11-25
Most Notable Decision Within
the , History Of the
United States.
TAKE AN APPEAL
Big Stir is Created on the
New York Stock Ex-
change by News.

ment. wins its suit against the stand
ard Oil Company!
The United States Circuit Court to-
day held that the standard OIL Com
pany of New jersey. was an illegal
corporation, and ordered that 1t be
dissolved. a
This case was heard in the United
States circuit court at. st. Louis on
April l.. 1908, by Circuit Judges SAN
born, Nandevender. Hook. and Adams.
Judge sanborn, of st. Paul, as pre-
siding judge, wrote the opinion and
decree in which all the judges concur
and sent them with the concurring
opinion of Judge Hook, to Judge
Adams at st. Louis, who filed them
and entered the three opinions in that
city this morning.
The case was argued by Frank B.
Kellogg, of st. Paul, and Charles ,B.
Morriso-, of Chicago, for the United
States. 1t was brought to enjoin John
d. Rockefeller, William Rockefeller
Menry NJ. Flagler. Henry H. Rogers,
John D. Archbold, Oliver H. Payne,
Charles NJ. Pratt, the Standard Oil
Company of New Jersey, and about
seventy other corporations from MAIN
taining combination in restraint of
trade to monopolfze interstate and In
ternational. commerce and the decree
grants an Injunction throughout by
the government.
The case Is the most notable in his
tory on account Of the important in
dus.rial and legal questions and the
valuable financial interests it in
wolves. ~ -
Judge Sanborn IN his decision SAYS:
This suit was brought by the
United States to enjoin the Standard
OH Company Of New Jersey. a COR
poration, about seventy subsidiary cor
porations and seven individual de-
PENDANTS from continuing an alleged
Illegal combination in restraint of
commerce among the states, in the
District Of Columbia, in the territories
and with foreign nations in violation
of the Sherman antitrust act of July
9, 1890. !. ~
Congress has the power under the
commercial clause of the constitution
to regulate and restrict use in COM
merce. of the method of holding title
to property and of every other instru-
mentality employed in that commerce
SO far as 1t may be necessary to do so
in order to prevent restraint thereof
denounced by the Sherman antitrust
act.
The seven individual defendants
and the Standard OIL Company of
New Jersey owned the majority of the
stock of nineteen other corporations.
and those twenty corporations con-
trolled many other corporations. Each
Of these corporations engaged in some
part of the business of producing,
buying, refining, transporting and
selling petroleum and its products.
and they were conducting about thir-
ty per cent. of the business of pur-
chasing. refining, Transporting and
selling petroleum and Its porducts in
this country. 1t prevented and is still
preventing competition in commerce
among the states and with foreign
nations, in violation of the ANTITRUST
act of 1890, and the government is en-
titled to an injunction against fur
Their continuance and operation there
Of"
The decree enjoins the seven iudivid-
ual defendants. Standard Oil Company
and its subsidiary corporations from
continuing or. carrying into effect the
illegal coordination they formed. and
they are forbidden from continuing
in interstate commerce. until they dis
continue their Illegal combination.
The decree takes effect thirty days
from the date OF its filing unless sus-
pended by an appeal to the supreme
court"