The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-16
OIL TRUST MARK
FOR HOT ATTACK
Attorney General Wickersham
Piles UP Charges Against
Standard Company
DEFENSE ADVANCES
UNUSUAL ARGUMENT
Deny Authority Of Supreme Court
to Act, Because of Lack OF
Specifications in
Evidence.

WASHINGTON, March 16.--Ths
nation s iorGmosl legal officer, Attor-
ney- General George w. Wickersnain,
ttla afternoon aIs ued before the su-
prkme Court OF the United Statue
that the Standard ull- COMPANY ~ .
conspiracy. trust and . monopoly
In restraint OF traae.
k'or TWO hours the cabinet officer
discussed the legal aspects OF the gov
ernment's Dl .s.st trust busting JOB,
opposing two vi tpe highest paio legal
lights in the county. he followed at
torney d. r. Watson, of the trusts
legal array, who had advanced the
remarkable argument that. inasmuch
an the decree and finding of fact In
the court below did not specify In
exact terms that the Standard Oii
had illegally engaged in rebating.
had made exorbitant pronts and Inn
proper competitive methods; that the
supreme Court could not pass upon
these things, and the testimony IL
that effect In the record, and could
only base their opinion upon the de-
cree OF the Missouri Circuit Court
''As I understand it" Watson had
said, this court cannot go beyond
the decree and finding of fact II
the government thought the finding
In the court below insufficient. they
should have appealed"
Justice Harlan Interrupts.
DO you mean 10 say that this
court has not often said: Here Is
something In the testimony which
shows further, etc. in rendering AZ
opinion7" asked Justice Harlan.
Well. I'm going by the opinions
rendered. and your practice here. Ol
course, the Supreme Court Of the
United States 10 q law unto itself.
AZ you have any authority for
your statements that this court can;
60 beyond the decree and finding OF
fact. I should like to have It." said
Justice White.
We ought to know what we can
do" added Justice Day.
Attorney Watson said he citations
but declared someone had taken his
book. He asked leave to refer to
The Attorney General, In beginning
jumped right into this situation.
II can well understand the de-
sire OF counsel on the other aide, =
| ne said. ..tu cast the VET Of oblivion
upon all the acts Of the defendant
prior to 1893, and I interpret this
rather extraordinary method to &C
] comptfsh this result from that obvf-
! ie,isiy natural desire. =
Railroad Humblcd.
\ Wickereham then 0iScuSS<d the
early history of the Standard Oil
COMPANY. 1t was In the latter par,
Of tk< period of acquisition" thus
, termed by Attorney Milburn, which
ended by decisions Of the Ohio court
holding the Ohio Standard OIL Com
pany a monopoly. declared the At
torney General. that the Standard
monopoly had brought the Pennsyi-
vania Railroad. the proudest rail-
way in the United states. to it's knees
and forced its own rates on oil from
It..
They compelled the railroads to
| come to their terms--terms abso-
luteIy unheard OF In this civilized
world" he continued.
What wonder they waxed rich
and grew strong-until II became q
great national scandal.
They went on growing by this
mesns--growing by the abuse of the
| sovereign power exercised by the
railroad companies. Rye and bye that
became too rank, and finally the aid
of the courts were invoked. Then
came the decision OF the Ohio courts. .