The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-05-18
OIL TO OBEY LAW
DECLARES COUNSEL
Standard Attorney Says Com
panies viii Separate.
NEW RULE PARAMOUNT ISSUE
Administration viii Formulate No Pol
Icy Concerning Future Trust Liti.
cation Until Tobacco Deci.
sion Is Rendered.

New York, May 1.-THE first word
from the Standard Oil company fol-
lowing a decision against 1t by the
United States Supreme court, order
ing the dissolution Of the corporation
within six months, as violator of
the Sherman act, was given out. 1t
makes two points clear:
First, there will be no contumacy
by the company-it intends to obey
the decree.
Second, It will be some time before
any plans Of reorganization are given
out.
The company has insisted through
out that no plans had been formulated
IN advance of the decree, and the
statement made by Mortimer F. FL
hot, general solicitor for the COM
pany, takes the same attitude. He
said:
Having only before us the press
reports of Chief Justice Whites oral
opinion and the remarks of Justice
Harlan, and not having seen the opin-
ion of the court in full, 1t is impossible
to make any lengthy statement. The
full opinion must be read and studied
by my associates and myself before
1t can be intelligently dealt with.
ut may, however. be said that the
Standard Oil company will obey the
decree of the court and that all the
companies embraced in the courts de-
cree will carry on their business as
usual under the direction of their own
officers and through their own cor
porate organizations"
New Rule Big Issue.
Washington. May 17.-Until the Su-
preme court has rendered its decision
In the pending case of the tobacco
trust the administration will formulate
no policy based on Mondays far-reach-
ing decision. The manner in which
the court will now apply the rule laid
down in the Standard Oil case to the
facts presented in the suit against the
tobacco trust become the paramount
issue with department officials.
Broadly speaking, Attorney General
Wickersham regards Mondays deci-
sion the most important declaration
ever made by a court of Justice. But
because of the fact that a new rule is
laid down it becomes essential to OBJ
serve how the court will enforce the
rule before any of the proceedings are
begun under the new dispensation.
1t is regarded as particularly FORUM
ate that there is to be had so soon as
the Standard Oil decision an opinion
from the court that will serve as a
guide in all future litigation.
President Is Satisfied.
So far as the effect of the decision
is concerned, both the president and
Acknowledgement Wickersham declared
that they were perfectly satisfied; and
neither would permit himself to be
drawn into any expression of opinion
with regard to the point made by Asso-
ciate Justice Harlan in his dramatic
dissent. Not even the quotations from
President Taft's previous utterances,
which seem to put him at variance
with the majority view of the court
served to bring forth any explanation
from Mr.. Taft. In conversation with
callers on this point, he merely re-
ferred to the fact that every man was
entitled to a view on the circum-
stances before the Supreme court had
passed on case; but once the court
had decided, 1t is the presidents opin-
Ion that patriotic duty and a regard
Tor American institutions require that
every citizen loyalty accept the view
OF the Supreme court as his own.
Sherman Law Is Sufficient.
The president does not believe that
the Sherman antitrust law requires
any amending by reason of the deci-
sion of the Supreme court and accord
ingly he will make no recommends
lions to congress to that end, while the
attorney general does not altogether
share the view that additional legisla-
ton Is not desirable, he does not be-
lieve that legislation at this time
would improve the situation.
Both the president and the attorney
general are as one In the belief that
modern business demands some lati.
ture for operation under the changed
economic conditions, and in private
discussion they point to the methods
that have been adopted in both Ger.
many and Great Britain where trade
combinations have been recognized
and legalized and brought under prop
er and necessary regulation by the
state. -'.'..