The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-05-17

Washington, May 15.-The Stand
ard oil Company of New Jersey and
its 10 subsidiary corporations were
declared today by the supreme court
of the United States to he a con-
spiracy and Coordination in restraint
of trade. 1t also was held to be mon
opOlizing interstate commerce in vio-
lation of the Sherman antitrust law.
The dissolution Of the combination
was ordered to take place within six
months
| Thus ends the tremendous struggle
or years on the part of the govern
ment to put down by authority of law
"a combination which it claimed was
a menace to the industrial and eco
nomic advancement of the entire
country.
AT the same time the court inter-
preted the Sherman antitrust law so
as to- limit its application to acts Of
undue" restraint of trade, and mot
every ,estraint Of trade" 1t was on
this point that the only discordant
note was heard in the court. Justice
Harlan dissented. claiming that cases
already decided by the court had de-
termned once for all that the world
undue" or unreasonable" or similar
words. were not i'm the statute. He
declared that the reasoning OF the
court i'm arriving at its findings was
in effect legislation which belonged
in every instance to congress and not
10 the courts.
Every since the decree in this case in
the lower court, the United States cir
cult court for the Eastern district of
Missouri, was announced, hope has
been expressed by the business
world that the law would be modi-
fled so as not to interfere with what
was designated as honest business"
Tonight that section Of the opinion
calling for the use Of the rule of rea
SON in applying the law as regarded
/
prayers of the business world"
The opinion OF the court was an
I uounccd hy Chief Justice White. In
. pi Htcl form II contained more than
! zo.ooo words For nearly an hour
J the chief Jcstlce discussed the case
isaI4---i1-S--hGnch. going over most OF
tie points in the printed opinion. but
not once referring to it in order to re-
fresh his memory. Before him sat
distinguished audience of the most
famous men of the country. Senators
and representatives left their respec-
tive chambers in the capitol to listen
to the epoch-making decision of the
court. Most eager to, hear were At
torney General Wickersham and
: Frank Il. Kellogg. special counsel of
the government, who had conducted
the great fight against the Standard
! OIL
| None of the brilliant array of coun
sci for the corporations or individual
defendants was present in the court
! during the reading Of the opinion.
Today. as on previous decision days
for months past. rival brokerage
agents with messengers i'm line to the
various telephone and telegraph in
struments throughout the capitol,
were on hand. but to their dismay
the announcement of the decision was
not begun until an hour after the
closing of the stock markets.
Many expected that the decision Of
the court in the dissolution sult
against the tobacco corporations
would he handed down immediately
! after the decision in the Standard Oil
case. This was not done. however.
hut the decision il expected on MAY
20. the last decision day Of the court
until next October.
The opinion Of the court today was
construed To mean that the tobacco
case, like every other case in winch
! restraints of trade are alleged. must
! he subjected To the new test of rca-
S"nahlcnesS of the restraint, as laid
Z down In the Standard Oil decision.
by FAR the greatest portion Of the
opinion Of the chief justice was de-
voted on the justification of the court
In requiring that the rule Of reason"
! hc applied To restraints Of trade be-
! fore they were held To be Violations
"t TIA" sherman antitrust law.
| The court found this justification in
/ '"' common law of the forcfathcrs
! ANA in th" general law of the country
! 't th" time the Sherman antitrust