Arizona republican., 1910-03-17
Generp| Sherman's Defint tioR Applicable To Both
 - >. Is5 SAYS STANDARDS COUNSEL
Closing Argument In Dis solution Case in Which
 Oil Trust Lawyer Pays Compliments to Enemies,
 Among Them Ida Tarbell

Washington. March Is-Th~ final argument tn the famous suit to GiS- solve the Standard oil Company cE New Jersey for conspiracy, monopoly and violation ot the antitrust laW. was made to,i8y and the SGprem~ court took the matter iR cCn>ider3- ton. The thiui dAy ct the contest be- tween counsel was memorable. nut not only because Cf the arguments, but because of the interest manifested in the prOCeedinsS on the part ot the bench
 The rules vf the court prohihitiuS spectators standing in its presence. were swept aside and members ot con gross stood around the walls cf tho room. Not in years have so many been packed iu the little chamber.
 IL fell to Attorney General Wicker sham. on the side cf the government and John Johnson. for the defense. Co make the closing remarks. In add'- tion D. r Watson. another of the Standard counsel, addressed the court
 Mr. WickerSham tauntcd his uppo- nents with desiring to cast the veil of oblivion over the past" He spoke of that past as containing d national scandal, which the courts and legsls lures have been called upon to put down. He emphasized his position by the reorganization of 1899. which gave the Standard a more solidified organ ization than before-an organization that presented the subsidiary com panies from becoming competitors.
 Closing. he urged the court not to be influenced by the cry that the proceed ing was d blow at business. because such cry has been made often before and proved groundless"
 The closing address by MT. Johnson was partly in reply to Mir. Wicker sham. He paid his compliments to Frank B. Kellogg. the author of the petition for the government. on which the decree of dissolution was based.
 Mir. Johnson told the court that it reminded him of the contents of the witches cauldron in Macbeth. as it appeared to have been made up of a collection from the books of disap- pointed producers and "magazinists- female and otherwise" MT. Johnson interpreted it as setting forth. and he designated it as the new doctrine of potential competition requiring each individual to compete with himself
 Turning to another phase of the controversy. he said: How on earth could we monopolize the manufacture of refined oil. when we control only eleven per cent of the crude output But they then complain that with our enormous wealth. we drive competitors out of business
 He exclaimed: Are you going tp conduct business on the race track principle and put d handicap on a man who possesses wealth? Are you going to taboo wealth."
 Johnson next turned to the subject of unfair competition. -Is there a kind of soft competition. a Pick wickian competition of the kid glove variety" he asked. where they just compete nicely and won't hurt Gen describing war. 1 won't use that wort in your honors' presence. but that k what competition is. Yet. they com plain because we have undersOld some One''
 There are plenty of laws that reach unfair competition" he said. The law that permits s2900o000 fine. is not d Pickwickian law"
 In closing. he pleaded with the co.irt not to strike down legitimate busi- ness, and deprive men represented tin the organization of the fruits of tkeir industry and energy