The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-17
ARGUMENT IN STANDARD
 OIL CASE IS CONCLUDED
CONTINUED FROM PAGE D


 was arguing that the court was not to go Into the record.
 '.You are a rule unto yourselves" re- piled MT Watson.
 Have you been talking about law or eQuity?'' inquired Justice Harlan. MT. Watson assured him it was of equity.
 Justice White wanted to know if MT. Watson had authority for such doctrine as he advanced.
 "Oh, yes, l have three or four in my brief"
 Give me one. I want to see it now" added the justice.
 Certainly I can't turn to it just now, but I am not trying to dodge" explained MT. Watson.
 Mr. wickersham's smile develops into a full grown laugh.
 'I'll have one of my associates to find it." said MT. Watson. Just as his time expired, IS minutes later, he read some citations.
 Justice Harlan suggested as there was a question of disputed fact, the court would have to go into the record.
 "It will take you six months then to read those D,e00 pages" suggested. MT Watson. .
 wickersham's Address
 Attorney Nickersham took up the clos ing argument of the government.
 "I can well understand the desire of the defendants to cast the veil of ob- lvion over the past" he began.
 But what does the court hold?" he asked, after reading several statements in Mir Watson's brief In support of this argument. .It holds that the acts pre- vious to 1890 did not violate the Sherman loxu fhtq Dnt passed until 1890. But 1t did say those acts had been considered as evidence of a continuous conspiracy"
 He then began to consider the early his. tory of Standard oil through the light of the combination of 1929.
 They brought one of the proudest rail- roads in the world to it's knees" said the Attorney General in speaking of the Standard oil, where organized in the ps as the Standard oil of Ohio. They compelled terms never before heard of in the world. It not only required re- bates on Its own shipments, but 1t levied tribute on the shipments of its com petitors What wonder they grew.
 What wonder they became rich.
 They grew richer ard richer until 1t became national scandal, until the courts and legislatures were appealed to. Then and only then did they consent that the railroads might carry other peo- ple's business on the same terms as their own That, your honors, please. was the reriod of acquisition MT. Milbuln told you about Monday"
 The Reorganization
 Passing over the trust periods quickly, Mir Wickersham came to the reorgani- zation of 1899.
 They had sought to hold these corpor- ations together he said. 'The first method did not accomplish what was de- sired. Two other methods were declared void. There was nothing to compel these corporations to compete and they had failed in every method to secure then- selves against the possibility of segrega- ton ard subsequent competition. They were held together because their control vas in the hands of certain men, who thought-and mad a right to fhink-it was not to their interest to compete.
 But some great holders of the stock night die; his holdings might be scat tered IL was possible that of this great group of men one might overstep and sell his stook, and so there would pe a breaking away. That was what was in the minds of the men concerned. They wanted to insure against the possibility of pulling away.
 "What did they do? Is it trre that fer 1Ses they were exactly in the same posttion as before? Can your honors say there is no difference between 20 sep arate corporations in the hands of-say 2p men-and one corporation owning the other 1a in the hands of the same men? Is the power of controlling the one cor norafion not easier? After there Is con so,,dation. before there was the danger from the hazards of the moment