Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-11

| II prudent to make the subject of pub
| lie utteranco
The situation relates to the possible
consequences. financial, Industrial and
| political. hanging upon the decisions OF
| the supreme court OF the United States
In the cases of the American Tobacco
| company and the Standard OIL COM
| pany
The immediate subject of last nights
| conference between the president and
| Mr.. Aldrich was the administrations s
| proposed amendments to the interstate
commerce law, but the effect of the
| supreme court decisions In the tobacco
and oil cases was discussed also and
will be further discussed on Monday.
SUPREME COURT HIS GUIDE.
Meanwhile. the president will speak
In Now York Saturday night on the
| subject, 1t is said. of Party pledges
and how they should be kept" and lie
Is attempting no conccalmcnt or modi-
fication of his intention to make the
decision of the supreme court the guide
of the governments further action in
regard TO corporations charged with
violations of the Sherman antitrust
law.
He makes it plain to all inquirers
that he has In nowise changed his view
of what, in his message to Congress, he
described as his duty to investigate
the conduct of all trusts Mr.. Taft says
he will not be swerved therefrom by
rumors or fiurries or other manifesto
tions in wall street"
The general impression here is that
the federal Incorporation bill Will not
be passed at this session, All tho
talk Is unfavorable to Its substantial
progress, and Mr.. Taft recently dis
claimed any intention OF attempting to
force its passage.
But even If 1t were enacted in its
present form. 1t offers, in the opinion
of members of Congress and of cor
poratlon men. no material relief from
the condition that hangs upon the de-
cision In the antitrust cases.
The bill provides that it shall not be
construed to create shelter or i'm
munity for any corporation that has
violated the Sherman law
Nobody here shares what appears to
have boon the popular impression-tant
the proposed federal Incorporation act
would afford relief to corporations di-
possible adverse decision OF the SUI
preme court. Nor is other legislation
contemplated that might relieve the
tension. Senator A1drich said today:
"I can conceive of no legislation
within the powers of Congress that can
meet this situation. efthor in antici7a-
ton of the supreme courts decision OF
subsequent to it."
UNLESS, perhaps, the repeal of the
Sherman law" the questioner suggest
The senator smiled grimly. 1t was
evident that he regarded that as out
side the domain of possibilities.
WHAT wICKERSHAM SAID.
As for the scope OF antitrust cases
before the supreme court, here is what
Atty. Gen. Wickersham said in con-
nection with his motion to advance
the Standard Oil cases to immediate
hearing:
"The tobacco case, just argued and
submitted to the court. and the Stand
ard Oil case, present to the court prac-
tically the entire range OF modern in
dustrial organizations in this country.
and substantially every feature of the
so-called trust problem in so far as
1t Is affected by the Sherman act :.
1t has been the policy of the govern
mctn to select u few extreme instances
OF great combinations apparently con-
trolling the greater part of trade and
commerce in a particular line of in
dustry. and to make them tests of the
full meaning and application of the
statute
"The Standard Oil case is the most
important OF all these cases, Affecting
as 1t does, the widest range of COM
binations and contracts which may be
claimed to offend against the act OF
Congress. Under these circumstances
and as this act in its general scope af-
fects an enormous number of business
and Industrial organizations through
out the country. 1t is of momentous
public Importance that this court shall
define and apply the act in reference
to this character of organization"
The proverbially delicate relation
(which the market" wall street" 4"
and the financial world generally bear
to the news and gossip OF the three
great branches OF the government.
make 1t superfuous to point out the
| effect which decisions of the supreme
| court in these cases will have In the
| field of finance Almost pathetic is the
] eagerness with which those here who
| are in communication with market"
| clutch at every crumb of news or gos-
| sip on this subject.
Industrially, as Mr.. Wickersham said
| to the court. practically the whole
scope of modern corporate organlza-
| tion Is In one way or another involved
| in these cases; good trusts" and bad
| trusts" apparently have a stake In the
, affair,
II the court should sutsain the judg-
| ments of the courts below. II might
call for Industrial readjustmcnts OF
| far-renching effect. Political leaders
here closely rejecting the minds of
leaders of industry express the more
| or less vague hope that the court
should II sustain the government and
be hostile to the defendant corpora
tions. will. in handing down it's deci-
sion. point out some measure OF that
relief which from any point OF view
4, appears outside the possible range OF
legislation.
Politically. the consequences OF a de-
cision either way must be momentous
especially go to the majority party In
the event OF the defeat of the govern
ment.
"If the trusts win. and Congress is
helpless to assist In the situation either
way, where are we at?" plainly asked
a Republican leader today
This Is the topic most discussed in
Washington just now. 1t is the subject
|