The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-06-15
POMERENE SCORES
POWERS THAT PREY
tcontinued from First page.)

f1EHLiHuSu from FiEEt PaEe.t
spect, IT seems that lawyers have
doubts as to what this statute means
in proportion to the size of the fees
they receive. Any hundred dollar
country lawyer can tell what this la w
means. II takes hundred thousand
dollar lawyer to point out ways to
eSade its provisions. The vast cor
porations and their learned counsel do
not attempt to square their conduct
with the law, but to warp the law to
conform 1t 10 their business
Pomerene gave a history of the
Standard and the tobacco trusts and
, their fragrant violations OF the law.
What excuse" asked the senator,
can any sworn court officials or law
maker. or any executive official. give
TO the people Of this country for a
failure to enforce this law, when they
are every day exerting themselves TO
punish other transgressors with their
money and less Influences at their
command A decent sense OF self
respect requires the government either
to enforce this law or repeal It,
Fires Questions Thick and Fast.
What respect have these oil and
tobacco men shown for Law What
disposition have they evinced To COM
ply with the order OF the court? The
history of the Standard OH Company
and It's allied interests in Ohio ami
Western Pennsylvania has been Z.
continuous record on their behalf and
on behalf of their officers including
| John d. Rockefeller. to monopolsze
the oil business and to destroy by
means fair or foul where he could
not buy out his competitors at his
own price. But, IL Is said that he Ia
not responsible; that he retired from
active business more than ten years
ago.
DO you mean to tell me that a
/ man can organize a band OF law viola
tors, furnish them with the sinews
OF war, serve as their captain. mark
out and guide their course for gen
Grafton. and after time, when he
has grown tired of the personal strife
/ in business. can still continue it In the
same way through other agents, re-
ceive the greater portion of the earn
| ings, and yet not be responsible for
/ his acts. either civiliy or criminal
/ lys
| II deny that such il the law
submit he ought not to be above the
!. law. He is made Of the same clay al
other men. with more brains. mu n
more money, and less business morals
than the average man.
IN my Judgment, the recent VIC
tories in the United States Supreme
Court will be OF little avail. unless
more vigorous methods are adopted
on the part Of the government than
/ heretofore against this class of law
violators,
Must Fight Hard.
! When dangers OF this kind con-
front US 1t is neither safe to depend
upon an occasional thirteen inch gun.
nor upon continuous pop gun bat
terry. Wars Of this kind must be Tough,
with an energy and with sinews which
are commensurate to the strength, the
| determination and the outlawry OF
the opposition. Prosecutions against
them should be brought In every dis
frict in which there has been a vio-
lation OF the law. | say this not nu,
Of spirit Of revenge. but in order
to teach them that they. too. mus,
obey the law Is the government now
frightened at its own victories,
The attorney general Is but a crea-
ture OF the law. The office was ere
ated by Congress. He IL required "a
perform such duties az Congress sees
/ fit to demand of him. In this reso-
luton 1t is proposed to declare that in
the Judgment 81 Congress he ough,
to begin these criminal proceedings
and prosecute.
Pomerene highly complimented At
torney General Wickersham upon his
victories in the civil suits against the
| trusts.