The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-10-15
Big SUPREME COURT DOCKET
TRIBUNAL ENTERS UPON MOST
IMPORTANT TERM.
Tobacco Trust, Standard Oil, corpo.
ration Tax, Virginia Debt and 9th.
er Cases Of Great Significance.

| Washington, Oct. 11.-When the
supreme court reassembled 1t entered
upon one of the busiest and most i'm
portant terms in recent years. Ow-
ing to the illness and unusual number
of deaths among the members of that
high tribunal during the last two
years, the docket is piled high with
cases, including such important ones
| as the tobacco trust, Standard Oil, and
corporation tax suits.
AS no successors have been appoint
ed to the late Chief Justice Fuller or
Associate Justice Moody, whose res
! ignation takes effect November 20,
the bench will be short two of its full
quota for the present. Associate Jus.
tice John NJ. Harlan, the senior mem-
| Der Of the court, has the distinction
of presiding over the tribunal until
a new chief justice has been confirmed
by the senate.
It is not considered probable that
| the more important cases will come
before the tribunal before January,
as President Taft is exceedingly anx-
ious to have full bench to hear these
cases.
1t is probable that the president
may name the new justices before con-
be able to serve until their appoint
mepts had been confirmed by the SEN
ate. In view Of the fact that con-
gress will adjourn very shortly after
converting December 5, for the Christ
mas holidays, it naturally follows that
the court will not have full bench
until after the first Of the year.
When the court adjourned last May
there were $50 cases on the docket
which had not been disposed of. Since
then 106 cases have been filed with
the court, thereby making the total
number of cases on the docket today
S92 The last October term OF the
court was ushered in with 6s7 cases
for the supreme body to act on.
Virginia. pebt CAGE ie UP.
4 Although the tobacco trust, Stand
ard Oil, railroad and the corporation
tax cases are regarded as the most
important ones now before the Su-
preme bench, there are a number of
4 other cases of considerable national
significance. vOne Of the latter is the
original act. of the state Of Virginia
against it's next-door neighbor. West
Virginia, in which several million dol
lars are Involved as a result of the
division of Virginia in its original
state. The suit consists of an at,
tempt to compel West Virginia to
SHOULDER part of the debt that existed
nsVirginiasas the time Of the division.
There are two peonage cases ap-
peal of number of railroads in the
western territory in the suit brought
by them against the railroad commits
sion Of, Missouri; three criminal cases
brought by xthe United States on &C
count of alleged violations of the pure
foods and drug act; the appeal of the
United States from the United States
circuit court. for eastern Missouri in
Its suit against the Western Terminal
| association of st. Louis. which is
known as the Eads bridge monopoly
case; and the libel suit of the United
States against the Press Publishing
company of New York which grew out
of articles printed in the New York
World about Theodore Roosevelt. Viii
liam Nelson Cromwell and others in
connection with the sale of the Pana-
ma canal.
Big "Trust-Bustin9" Cases.
The tobacco trust and Standard OIL
eases are to be reargued and the clerk
Of the court has placed them on the
docket for November without any
definite date. In each Of these cases
the government has assumed the role
of trust buster" because of its at.
tempt to dissolve what It deems a
trust operating in violation of the
Sherman antitrust act.
The case against the American To-
bacco company, generally known as
the tobacco trust" is one in which
the Supreme court must determine
If the company is combination In
restraint of trade. Several lower
courts have held it to be such, while
on the other hand, some Of the
courts have decided otherwise. At
torney General Wickersham is expect
ed to personally appear before the
Supreme court during the arguments
In this suit although the government
will be represented the greater part
of the time by it's solicitor-general.
The contentious of the government
in the STANDARD OIL cases are grouped
under nine separate heads. Among
them are: that the company is q com
bination in restraint of trade, mo
nopoly in violation Of law; that 1t OBJ
tanned rebates and discriminatory
rates in the transportation Of it's prod
ucts. as against its competitors, and
that it is engaged in oppressive
methods of competition, thereby de
stroying the small manufacturers and
dealers throughout the country