The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1909-01-02
Regulation of Trusts
and Pursuit of Grafters.

The American smile Of 1907 when
Judge Lands fined the oil trust 800
100000 for taking Alton rebates GER
tainly came off July 20 last, when
Judge Grosscup and associates of the
court Of appeals at Chicago reversed
Lands on the assumption that the fine
was excessive and not based on good
law. What the chief hunter Of the big
octopus had to say Of that particular
turn In the road was that the merits
of the case had not been touched and
he would regard 1t as a gross mlscar-
riage Of justice If through any techni-
calities' the quarry should escape. The
president at once had the motion for a
%rehearlng made, This was denied. and
the famous case goes up on appeal to
the supreme court.
But in the meantime the government
pack was in full cry along other paths.
the chief of which led toward the dis
solution Of the Standard Oil company.
Sept. 10 at Philadelphia Judge Gray
and associates on the circuit bench
sustained the right Of railroads to own
and operate coal mines, holding the
commodity clause of the Hepburn bill
to be despotic and c%onfscatory.
Federal suits were also started
against the Hartman railroad trust
and against the powder trust. while
numerous fines were imposed on rail
roads and other corporations under the
Elkins law for rebatlng. On March %
the supreme court, 8 to /, i~nvalidated
the Minnesota and North Carolina rate
laws, holding that federal courts bad
the right to review and to stay execu-
ton to protect stockholders. The Ala
bama rate law was held up by the cir
cult court pending Investigation of
reasonableness of rates. Pennsylvania
two cent rate law was invalidated by
the state supreme court. On Nov. 81
the United States supreme court ruled
that the order Of the Virginia railroad
commission fixing a two cent passen-
ger rate was subject to review and
must be tried before the highest state
court before seeking federal interview
ton. In December the circuit court Of
appeals enjoined the tobacco trust from
continuing interstate traffic.
Early In January the supreme court
knocked out the employers liability
law because it was not confined to in
tersta,e corporations. On Jan. % it
r1led that membership in a union
might justify dismissal Of interstate
railroad employees. On Feb. 3 In the
famous Danbury hatters' boycott case
it decided unanimously that the boy
colt as a method Of fighting capital Is
Illegal when declared against goods in
interstate traffic. President Gompers
and other A. f. of L. officials were en-
Joined from publishing an unfair list. "
On March 9 the California supreme
court vacated the conviction Of former
ayor Schmltz, and he was freed on
heavy bail covering other charges after
having been confined ten months.
When in November his pal. Boss Ruef.
was brought to trial the desperation Of
the graft forces showed itself in the
act o1 one diseredited saloon man,
Haas. who shot Heney in court.
Though Heney was seriously injured.
be recovered to continue the fight with
Increased public sympathy. Ruef was
convicted Dec. II and faced a prison
term. -Four Of Pennsylvanla's capitol
g%rafters were convicted in February
and sentenced Dec. IS to tive years IN
prison and $500 fine each.
On Nov. 6 at New York Charles W.
lIcrse. the millionaire whose illegal
banking practices were believed to
have started the financial panic Of
1907, was brought to stern justice With
conviction and a fifteen year sen
tence, At the same time sentence for
his banking associate, President Cur
It's OF the Bank Of North America.
was suspended.
p.ttsburE vas shocked by a series
o. banking explosions and defalS
lions, two Of which stand out as col
hssal crimes. On March % Henry
Reiber. teller. ana Jchu Young, aaei.
tor OF the Easnass.zeM.,zs~rEza