Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-17
Taunts His Opponents.

mast as containing a national scandal
which the courts and the legislatures
were called upon to put down. Some
what extendedly, he emphasized the po-
sition that the reorganization of 1o9S
gave the Standard Oil more solidified
organization than it possessed before, an
organization which prevented the sub
sidiary companies from becoming COM
petinG.
He turned to the question of what con-
stitutes a monopoly. In closing ne
urged the court not to be influenced by
The cry that this proceeding was a blow
directed at business, because such cry
had been made often before and proven
groundless.'
The closing address by Mr.. Johnson
Although the wolf may not have come
at first" he told the court. when 1t did
como 1t was too late to cry
He paid his compliments to Frank 3.
Kellogg, author of the petition Of the
government. filed in the circuit court Of
the United States for the eastern district
of Missouri. and on which the decree of
dissolution before the court for review
was based. Mr.. Johnson told the court it
reminded him of the contents of the
witches caldron in Macbeth, in that 1t
appeared to have been made up Of col
lection from the scrapbOOks OF disappoint-
ed oil producers and observation-disclosures
or otherwise" The best part about it, he
prayer
Race Track Business Methods.
Mr.. johnson interpreted what he des-
fgnated as 1.-THE new doctrine Of poten-
thai competition as an attempt to re-
quire each individual to compete with
himself. Turning to another phase Of the
controversy, he asked, How on earth
could we monopolize the manufacture of
refined oil, when We control only II per
cent of the crude oil 0irtput"'
But they complain that with our
enormous amount of wealth we drove our
competitors out of business he'exclaim-
ed. Are you going TO conduct business
on the race track principle and put a
handicap to- the man. who possesses
wealth? Are you going to taboo wealth."
With sarcasm depicted on his face as
he walked back and forth before the
bench ne expressed his surprise that
such iniquities as had been complained
of existed in this country
We do have pipe lines. he shouted.
We do have engines and boilers. but is
that any reason why our competitors
should get heat and steam from us?
There is no federal law which requires
that, thank God, as yet. l am speaking
of the present. Your honors may be
called upon-not in my lifetime-to pass
Upon a law that says how much man
shall own. But that question is not now
UclUtC you
"Kid Glove Competition"
Mr.. Johnson next turned to the question
OF unfair competition. rs there kind
of soft competition. a Pickwickian COM
petition. kind of kid glove variety he
asked. where they just compete SO nice
" that it won't hurt? Gen. Sherman
used q word in describing what war Is l
won't use the word in your honors' pres
ence, but that is what competition is.
Yet they complain because we undersold
some one
There are plenty of laws that could
reach unfair competition if it be illegal
he said. The law which permits a TWEEN
1y-nine- million-d dollar fine to be laid, he
contended, was not "Pickwickian law
In closing he pleaded with the court not
10 strike down legitimate business or
deprive the men he represented of their
organization.
The remedy the government asks you
10 apply, said he, lis not unlike the
surgical operation of amputatng the foot
10 remove a thorn from toe"