The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1909-12-27
DOES TAFT FEAR
To ENFORCE LAW?
Want Action Held Up Pending su-
preme Courts Standard oil
Decision.

WasniugIOns Lee, 1t.--CeTlOuS CoH-
sideration is being given by President
Taft and leaders in congress-, includ-
ing Senator Aldrich and Speaker Can.
noon, to the question of the advisable
ity Of attempting to enact federal
Incorporation act in advance of a
final judicial decision in the Standard
Oil dissolution case.
There appears to be an important
difference of opinion between Mr.. Taft
and his advisers. who want him to
withhold the message which he has
announced he will send to congress.
TO "vaccInatev Corporations.
1t is understood that Mr.. Taft fears
that business generally will suffer If
the supreme 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 fear such 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 shelter for
monopolies
If 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 corporation law without delay on
the ground that honest business is
menaced under the Interpretation OF
the Sherman antitrust act given by
the circuit court decision in the Stand
ard Oil case
President Reviews Asked.
While the presidents view is shared
by the leaders named they recognize
the fact that there will be serious OPP
position to any legislation apparently
calculated to narrow the scope of the
Sherman law They believe that this
opposition is so strong that there would
be protracted contest over such
measure, and that it would be the part
of wisdom, therefore, to await the de-
cision of the supreme court.
Mr.. Taft, it is said has reviewed !
personally the evidence in the Stand |
ard Oil case, with the result that he be-
lieves the decision by the circuit court
correctly interprets the law; if SO. he
presumably expects that the DEGREES
ywill be sustained by the supreme
court
The understanding Of those with
whom Mr.. Taft has discussed the case
is that be could recommend the enact
ment of federal incorporation law
without becoming amenable to a
charge that he was seeking to preju-
dice the supreme court.
May Dull Decisions Edge.
That the present is an unpropitious
time to send such a message to con-
gress and that no matter how cautious
t q president might be in the wording
of his recommendation political issue
will certainly be made of it is the opin-
ion of the republican leaders. These
leaders do not all agree that the SUI
eme court will sustain the decision
of the circuit court without mitigating
the force Of that Interpretation of the
sherman law.
They point to the fact that the SUI
preme court sustained tie right of
congress to enact the legislation con-
tanned in the commodities clause Of
the Hepburn law. but that it did so in
manner such as to make it virtually
non-effective. 1t is suggested as not
impossible that decision with the
edge dulled," in like manner might be
handed down in the Standard oil
case.
May Modify the Act.