The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-28
IS Time To CHECK
INDIVIDUAL GREED
WiCkerSham Declares LegiS-
lation Must lnterpose on
Behalf of Public Justice
TRACES EVOLUTION
OF GREAT TRUSTS
Says That New Court of Com
merce Will Be Essential
Tribunal of
Equity.
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

CAMBRIDGE. MASS. June 2S.-
Describing the growth OF Federal
power over interstate commerce
through the action OF Congress ana
OF the Supreme Court and .ng his
hearers how TO acquire the Ut5. equip
ment for the practical work u a Jaw
yer's life. Attorney General Wicker
sham to-day spoke before the liar-
ward Law School Association. He
took as his subject THE Relation OF
Legal Education to Governmental
Problems
'"ihe history of all nations" he
said. indicates that at a certain Pc
Rod OF national development it be-
comes necessary TO Tnterpose by iegis-
lation between the rapacity Of .nIi-
riduai greed and justice and fairness
to the entire people.
Never before in any civilization OF
which we have a record has the ma
chinery of trade lent Itself TO such
far-reaching control of grea, lines ct
industry By individuals or combina-
tons as at the present day. Nor
ever before has it been possible TO lay
so direct toll upon the entire pub
lie through the concentration of in
dustriai power
!. Growth of Trusts.
The full significance of the attempt
to check the growth of great eomoi-
nations and monopoHes, ne said. was
scarcely perceived at tie time of the
enactment of the Sherman antitrust
law nor until successive interprera-
tions Of 1t had been given by the Su-
preme Court. lie expressed his re-
greet that the crippled condition OF
that court had prevented a decision
in the Standard Oil and tobacco trust
cases at the last term, saying:
1T Is greatly to be desired that they
may be decided at an early, date. and
that the principles OF the decision
may be so clearly laid down as to
afford a practicable standard of con-
duct which, while securely protecting
against the inevitable evils of great
monopoly, and deliberate attempts to
arbitrarily Ak prices and stifle COM
petition. will yet leave untrammeled
avenues for the legitimate develop,
msnt of our domestic and foreign
commerce"
Referring approvingiy to the rail-
road legislation enacted by the pres
ent Congress. particularly the extern
sion of the powers of the Interstate
Commerce Commission and the estab-
lishment of the commerce court
which he said introduced for the first
time a more flexible principle In the
Federal judicial esta blishment, Wick
ersham said:
Those who invest money in rail-
road telegraph. telephone or other
transportation enterprises are entitled
to q reasonable and just return lyon
their investment: and as between
the right Of the owner TO such return
and the right OF the public to have
transportation at just and reasonable
rates. 1t is essential that there be es-
tsblished tribunal competent to
hear and determine. There should
be no hostility between the railroads
and the public. and with the Inter-
state Commerce Commission clothed
with power to prevent as well as to
redress abuses, there is apt to be
much kintlier feelings towards the
managers OF these great lines OF
transportation"
The wise solution Of questions like
these. he said. could only be reached
by men who are able 20 deal with
facts and principles AZ compared with
information acquired or memory.
When whose only acquaintance with
the principles Of law and government
and lecturers, ne told his hearers.
would not be equipped to cope with
the great legal and economic ques-
tons incident to our national growth
and expansion.
He made a warm appeal for the
historic. method OF studying law.
tracing the growth OF principles or
doctrines through the selection. CLASH
fication and analysis of ad3udged cases
Involving their application.
~ q st