The Dickinson press., 1909-01-02
Regulation of Trusts
and Pursuit of Grafters.

The American smile of 1907 when
Judge Lands fined the oil trust $780,
100000 for taking Alton rebates GER
tainly came off July % 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 cas- had not been touched and
he would regard it as a gross miscar.
riage Of justice If through any techni-
calities" the quarry should escape. The
president at once had the motion for a
rehcaring 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 confiscatory.
Federal suits were also started
against the Hartman railroad trust
and against the powder trust, while
numerous fines We're imposed on rail
roads and other corporations under the
Elkins law for Relating. On March %
the supreme court, 8 to /, invalidated
the Minnesota and North Carolina rate
laws. holding that federal courts had
the right to review and to stay cXecu.
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 puSsen-
ger rate WIS subject to review and
must be tried before the highest state
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 il was not confined TO ill.,
terstate corporations. On Jan. % it
ruled that membership in n union
might justify dismissal Of interstate
railroad employees. On Feb. 8 in the
famous Danbury hatters' boycott case
1t 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. +. Of L. officials were en-
Joined from publishing al unfair list"
On March 9 the California, supreme
court vacated the conviction Of former
Mayor schmitz, 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 Of one discredited. saloon man,
Haas, /, who shot Heney in court.
Though Heney was seriously injured,
he recovered to continue the fight with
increased public sympathy. Ruef, was
convicted Dec. il and faced a prison
term. -Four Of Pennsylvania capitol
grafters were convicted In February
and sentenced Dec. 10 to two years in
prison and $500 fine each.
On Nov. 6 at New York Charles W.
Morse, the millionaire whose illegal
banking practices were believed to
have started the financial panic OF
1907, vas 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.
Pittsburg was shocked by a series
Of banking explosions and defalca-
lions, two Of which stand out as col
lossal crimes. On March q Henry
Reiber, teller, and John Young, audi
zoe - ny~Aa.~>a