Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-04-01
Especial Correspondence

depressed, and, Its nerves are In bad
shape. tits choleric. irritable and
,peevish. II is in humor to abuse the
Office boy during the da,, and to kick
the cat when 1t goes home at night.
. 1t is. not the market that is causing
this-not yet. II is the suspense Of
awaiting the decision of the Supreme
Court of the United. States In the
Standard OIL and Tobacco Trust cases.
There has been no serious depression
in the value Of securities, as yet. but
there IL marked depression in the
spirits of the big financiers who manip
nlate securities.
Apprehensive is inadequate as a
Characterization OF tho state of mind
OF the men who dominate the great
business interests OF the country.
These men are In a veritable panic as
they contemplate the possibility of de-
cislons adverse to the trusts now under
Are. and the resultant far.reaching eff.
feet on all great organizations OF like
character. They hope for the best.
but they fear the worst. and II is ad:
nitted that they do not know what
they will do II the worst comes. They
say that a Supreme Court decree that
the oil and tobacco trusts must be dis.
solved will shake the entire industrial
ind commercial structure of the Uni
ted States to its very foundation; that
ousinesss chaos will be the sequel. II
compelled to break up and dissolve
The great corporations through which
hey have controlled industry and com.
inerce they do not know how they will
meet the, emergency. Anything but
dissolution. is their prayer,
1--we beg of this court, II we are
'onnd to be doing wrong. enIoin us
from doing that, but IN the name of
Justice do no destroy the organizatio
which has accomplished such results
iniess there Is nothing else TO do"
such was the final plea OF John q.
MilbTn, Of the counsel for the Stand
ard OIL Company, In summarizing his
argument before the Supreme Court
9rought to bar at last; facing. the issue
which II had fought or for years the
greatest of all the trusts was ready
/ o .admit.t had done wrong. f'don'i
say the men In It have never done
wrong said Mr.. Miiburn. Judge us
ask You. by human standards.
have no doubt II has done things II
has had no right to do" Admitting
xrons.doing. this trust was willing "a
,ccept any punishment save the one
upon which the government insists
that 1t put an end to Its monopolistie
control OF the oil business.
They have waved the black fiae
over the land as others have done over
the ocean," was the reply TO Mr.. MI
burn made by Frank b. Kellogg. who
has made the fight against the Stand
ard In the name OF the people. "Dt
L deny they have demonstrated their
ability? No. They have competed
with an ability unequalied In this coun
try.
with Its ramifications. Its influences
and its money power. give Il carte
blanche. let II combine, as Mr.. Watson
suggests, and let II cut prices, as Mr.
Milburn speaks about. and predict 4
Will control every industry in thi,
country In ten years--yea, In i've
years. f.R
what makes great country? No
great corporations. II Is the individ
ual, the independent proprietor, witt
the star Of hope that has always beer
held out 10 man before him. You
honors, II Is but a step from combina
tion to socialism. and but another from
socialism to anarchy
Every step taken by the men of "Bi,
Business" for the past thirty year
has been toward combination, and the,
cannot believe that they have beer
progressing steadily toward socialism
and anarchy. But II they have, the,
do not know how to undo all the worl
hey have done. They Nave rcare,
great structures. aud they can rea
others. and still greater. bul they d.
\ not know how to take one apart, an,
resolve H. into Its original compon
ents, .s,r nff
And thatiis what they must do I
the Supreme Court decides against tn,
Standard and Tobacco Trust TAX,
the. Standard, for example, II is CON
posed OF ia subsidiary marketing
\ manufacturing and pipe line CON
panies. together with the hiding con
pany OF New Jersey. The decree o
| the court. NJ rapyeaIa which Tho 81