The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1910-10-14
SUPREME COURT DOCKET
TRIBUNAL ENTERS UPON MOST
IMPORTANT TERM.
Tobacco Trust, Standard Oil, corpos
ration Tax, Virginia Debt and 9th
or Cases Of Great Significance.

portant terms in recent years. OW9
ing to the illness and unusual number
of deaths among the members OF that
high tribunal during the last two
years, the docket is piled high with
cases, including such important ones
rs the tobacco trust, Standard OIL, and
corporation tax suits.
AS no successors have been appoint
ed to the late Chief Justice Fuller or
Associate Justice Moody, whose res
ignation takes effect November 20,
the bench.will be short two of its full
quota for the present. Associate JUS
tice John M. Harlan, the senior mem.
Der of the court, has the distinction
of presiding over the tribunal until
a new chief justice has been confirmed
by the senate.
1t is not considered probable that
the more important cases will come,
before the tribunal before January,
as President Taft is exceedingly anx-
tous to have a full bench to hear these
cases.
1t is probable that the president
may name the new Justices before con-
gress convenes, but they would not
be able TO serve until their appoint
ments had been confirmed by the SEN
ate. In view of the fact that con
gress will adjourn very shortly after
converting December 5, for the Christ
mas holidays, it naturally follows that
the court will not have a full bench
until after the first of the yea
When the court adjourned last May
there were 585 cases on the docket
which had not been disposed Of. Since
then 106 cases have been filed with
the court, thereby making the total
number of cases on the docket today
Coz. TIE last October term Of the
court was ushered in with 5S7 cases
for the supreme body to act on.
Virginia Debt Case ls Up.
Although the tobacco trust, Stand
ard Oil, railroad and the corporation
tax cases are regarded as the most
important ones now before the SUI
preme bench, there are a number of
other cases of considerable national
significance. One of the latter is the
original act of the state of Virginia
against it's next-door n~eighbor, West
Virginia, in which several million dol
lars are involved as a result of the
division of Virginia in its original
state. The suit consists of ar at
tempt to compel West Virginia to
shoulder part of the debt that existeo
in Virginia at the time of the division.
There are two. peonage cases APP
pealed by the state of Florida; the ap-
peal OF a number of railroads in the
western territory in the suit brought
by them against the railroad commits
sion of Missouri; three criminal cases
brought by the United States on ac-
count Of alleged violations OF the pure
foods and drug act; the appeal of the
United States from the United States
circuit court for eastern Missouri in
it's suit against the Western Terminal
association of st. Louis. which is
known ais the Eads bridge monopoly
case; and the libel suit Of the United
States against the Press Publishing
company Of New York which grew out
Of articles printed in the New YorR
World about Theodore Roosevelt, vii
lam Nelson Cromwell and others In
connection with the sale of the Pana'
ma canal.
Big "Trust-Busting" Cases.
The tobacco trust and Standard Oil
cases are to be reargued and the clerk
of court has placed them on the
docket for November without any
definite date. In each of these cases
the government has assumed the role
of thrust buster because Of its at
tempt to dissolve what 1t deems 9
trust operating in violation of the
Sherman antitrust act.
The case against the American To
bacco company, generally known as
the tobacco trust" Is one in which
the Supreme court must determine
If the company is a combination in
restraint of trade. Several lower
courts have held it to be such, while
on the other hand some of the
courts have decided otherwise. At
torney General Wickersham is expect
ed to personally appear before the
Supreme court during the arguments
in this suit although the government
will be represented the greater pari
of the time by it's solicitor-general.
The contentious Of the government
in the STANDARD Oil cases are grouped
under nine separate heads. Among
them are: that the company is a com
bination in restraint Of trade, a mo
nopoly in violation Of law; that it OBJ
tanned rebates and discriminatory
rates In. the transportation Of its prod
ucts, as against its competitors, and
that 1t is engaged In oppressive
methods of competition, thereby de
stroying the small manufacturers anG
dealers throughout the country.