Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-02-11
ADMINISTRATION
;Continued from page 1.))

amendments to the Interstate Com
merce Commise laws; but the enec'
Of the supreme courts decision IN
the Tobacco and Standtrd OIL cases
were discussed also to some extent
and will be further discussed after
Senator Aldrich's return on Monday
from New York where he went this
afternoon.
Meanwhile the president will speak
in New York Saturday evening, on the
subject, it is said, of "Party Pledges
and How They Should Be Kept" and
he is attempting no concealment OF
the modification of his intention to
make the decision of the supreme
court the guide of the governments
| further action in regard to corpora
lions charged with violations of the
Sherman antitrust law. He makes it
| plain to all inquiries that he has in
no wise changed his views of what
in his message to congress he des-
scribed as his duty and his purpose
| to investigate the conduct of all the
| trusts and will not he swerved there
from by rumors or flurries or other
manifestations in Wall street. The
general impression here is that the
proposed federal inco1 poration law
will not be passed at the present ses-
sion of congress-; all the talk is I'M
favorable to its substantial progress
and Mr.. Taft recently disclaimed any
intention of attempting to force its
passage. But even if it were enacted
in it's present form, it offers, in the
ne hor <Nf
and of representative corporation
men, no material relief in the condi-
ton which hangs upon the decision
| in the antitrust cases.
The bill provides, in all, but so
many words, that it shall not be con-
strued to create a shelter or immun-
! ity for any corporation which has Of
Tended the prohibitions OF the Sher-
man law.
Nobody here shareA what appears
| to have been the popular impression
that the proposed federal incorpora-
| ton act would afford relief to corpor-
atoms directly threatened under a
possible adverse decision of the court
| Of last resort.
Nor is other legislation contemplate
ed which might be expected to relieve
| the tension. Senator Aldrich said to-
day, before his departure for New
York:
81 can conceive of no legislation
within the power of congress which
can meet this situation; either in an
ticipation to the supreme courts de-
cision, or subsequent to it,"
Under, perhaps, the repeal Of the
Sherman law" the questioner sug-
gested.
The senator smiled gimly. 1t was
evident that he regarded that as out
side the domain of possibility.
AS for the scope of the Iti-trust
ctses before the supreme court, here
is what Attorney General Wicker
sham said in connection with his mo-
ton to advance the standard Oil case
to immediate hearing:
"The Tobacco case, just argued and
submitted to the court, and the Stan
dard Oil case, present to the court
practically the entire range of modern
industrial organizations in this coun-
yrt, and substantially every feature
of the so-called trust problem inso-
far as affected by the Sherman act.
1t has been the policy Of the govern
ment to select a few extreme instan
ces as great combinations apparent
ly controlling the greater parts OF
trade and commerce in a particular
line Of industry, and to make them
tests of the full meaning and appli-
cation OF the statute. The STANDARD
Oil case Is the most important of all
those cases, affecting as it Dies, the
widest range of combinations and
contracts which may he claimed
against the act of congress. Under
these circumstances and as this act
in its general scope affects an enor'
nous number of business industrial
organizations throughout the county
it is of momentous public importance
that this court shall define and apply
the act in reference to this charac
ter of organization"
The proverbially delicate relation
which "The maket," 'Wall street,
and the financial world generally
bear to the news and gossip of the
three great branches of the govern
ment, make it superfurous to poin
out the effect which the decisions o.
| IAC SUPA~AIO SOuIS, OAO "dy VI CA<
other in these great cases, will Ger
tainly have in the field of finance
Almost pathetic is the eagerness will
which those here who are in com
munication with 'The MARKET" clutch
at every crumb Of news or gossip OF
this subject.
Enthusiastically, as MIR. Wickershan
said to the court, practically thu Who'll,
scope of modern corporate organiza
ton is in one way or another involv
ed in these cases. Good trusts" ant
bad trusts apparently have a stalk
. in the affair.
, If the court should sustain thu
judgment of the courts below,
might call for industrial readjustmen
Of far reaching effect. POLITICAL lead
. ers here, closely rejecting the mind