Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-06-16
PONEREDE WOULD
PROSECUTE THEM
STANDARD OIL AND TOBACCO
MEN PICTURED As MONSTORS.
TWAS HIS maiden Speech
lating the Law, He said; Now
Let Them See Pcnltcntiary.

llal the standard Oll ana the AM
erican Tobacco companies have viola
ted the law for more than twenty
years, and in that the men in control
OF these corporations are amenable
10 criminal prosecution, Senator POM
creme, the new Democratic member
from ohio. IN his maiden speech to-
day, demanded that the department
of justice institute proceedings against
both the corporations and their Of
ficias
Senator Pomcrenes immediate sub
ject was the resolution which he Of
fered some time ago instructlng the
attorney general to institute proceed
ings, against the officers and directors
OF the Standard OIL company and the
American Tobacco company for yio-
lations Of the criminal sections Of the
Sherman antitrust law, IN accord
ance with recent opinions Of the Uni
ted States supreme Court If in the at
torney generals opinion there have
been such violations.
He began by tracing the common
law, which he said made contracts
In reasonable restraint Of trade un-
lawful, but 1t provided no penalty to
aid enforcement. He then took up
the Sherman antitrust law.
Now" he continued, with these
plain findings OF facts and conclus-
ions by the court that the statute
has been violated, what reason can
be given by any sworn official? What
explanation can any lawyer or exc
cutive give for failure to enforce this
law? A decent sense OF self-respect
requires the government either to
enforce this law or to repeal It.
What respect have these oil and
tobado men shown for the law?
What disposition have they ever
evinced to comply with the order Of
the court?
1.-THE history Of the Standard oil
company and its allied interests in
Ohio and Western Pennsylvania have
been a continuous record on their be-
half and on behalf of their officers,
including John d. Rockefeller. TO
monopollze the oil business and to
destroy by means. fair or foul, where
he could not buy out his competitors
NJ his own price, His pathway Is
marked by greater number OF vic
tins whose business careers he has
ruined by his unmerclful methods
than that OF any man In the indus
trial history Of this country, and yet
he goes unwhipped Of Justice.
at would seem that the fruit or
the victory against these companies
would be lost to the government and
TO the people unless they were fol-
lowed out by criminal prosecution.
II say this not out Of spirit of
resentment" exclaimed the senator,
'But in order 10 teach them that they.
too, must obey the law. One OF these
men behind the bars viii do more to-
ward restorin themajority Of the law
than anything that has been done by
the federal government in the last
generation. 1t Is high time that the
American people should understand
whether the stars and stripes are to
be the emblem OF their power and
shall be the oil barrel and the tobacco
tag
"To think that the company, It's
officials and attorneys did not know
that the business of this concern was
being conducted in flagrant viola
tion Of the law is inconceivable,' he
declared.
He discussed the history and or
ganlzation OF the American Tobacco
company and the fight against It In
the courts, including theaction that
resulted In the recent decision Of the
supreme court against the mono
poly.
Senator Pommerne did not ask for
action on his resolution instructlng
the attorney general to begin the suit,
= giving away TO Senator Nelson, who
desired TO speak on the Canadian re-
clprocity, but he will press for a vote
on II In the near future
Taking up the cudgel on behalf OF
Attorney General Wickersham. whom
Mr.. Pommerene had criticised, Sen.
ator Kenyon declared the present
head Of the department OF Justice
ecutlon to trusts than any OF his pre-
dccessors He said Mr.. Wickersham
did not require instructions from Con-
gress to do his duty.
Senator Nelson created a diversion
when. In applnuding Mr.. Wicker
shnm's work. he declared the present
governor OF Ohio, when attorney gen
eral under Clcveland's administration,
had said the sherman antitrust law
was dead letter. Both Senators
Pommerne and Hitchcock were Inn
medlntcly on their feet TO reply.
That's mere Imagination" said the
Nebraska senator "Mr. Harmon was
the one who first breathed any life
into the law"
He contended that the lawyers
doubts OF the meaning OF the sta
tutes were 'In proportion to the size
OF the fees they received from their
clients" and that the Interpretation
OF the law by tho supreme court of
the United States was clear, Mr.. Pom
merene said that the ruling Of the su-
preme court must he followed up
quickly In the most vigorous fashion"
or the fruits OF those victories VIII
be lost to the government and to the
people.