The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-03-03

the polls, men aspiring to be judges
must rely solely on their merits for |
election. Their names will be placed 1
on ballots, containing no party desig-
nation, and the electors will disregard |
parties and choose the best man.
Governor Harmon during his long
and distinguished career as a lawyer !
has never appeared in a court case
against the people. He has fought
many legal battles for the people, and
standing pre-eminent among all SER
vices performed by public officers for
the people, was his work while United
States attorney general in three cases
which established the foundation Of
all Jurisprudence on the antitrust sub
ject. The first of these was the case
of United States VS.. The Transmits
souri, freight association, in which the
government sought to enjoin the car
rying ort of combination among the
railroads west OF Missouri, whose
chief purpose was to fix and maintain
rates. The suit was brought in Presi-
dent Harrison's time and decisions
adverse to the government had been
given IN both the United States cir
cult and circuit court of appeals. 1t
had been appealed to supreme court
of the United States by Attorney Gen.
eral Miller, but had never been put on
the hearing list.
Attorney General Harmon shortly af-
ter his appointment had the case set
for hearing and appeared in person
at the argument, which attracted at
tention all over the country. The is
sues were what the purpose and effect
the Sherman antitrust law were, and
IL, as the government ccntended,
whether 1t applied to railroads. Har-
mon won for The government. It was
the first victory won under the law
and established a precedent for all
future prosecutions for violation of
the antitrust law.
Resorting to subterfuge the eastern
roads undertook to form a new COM
bination on the same line to escape
the effect of the decision. The new
concern was called the Joint Traffic
association. At the direction of the
Attorney General Harmon the United
States attorney in New York filed
suit against that concern and the case
went to the supreme court in Washing
ton, where the government again won.
Attorney General Harmon had then
gone out of Office, but Solicitor Gen.
raj Richards conducted the case along
the lines pursued by Harmon in the
action against the Trans-Missouri
Freight association. Harmon's pre-
paration and brief were used In the
argument by Richards
Then Attorney General Harmon
directed the United States attorney
at Chattanooga to institute an action
against pipe dealers who undertook
to parcel out the country among them
selves, each agreeing to keep out of
the others territory. That suit went
to the supreme court where 1t was
won by the government This case
established the principle that the
Sherman antitrust act applied to other
corpor ltions. Though the decision
was given after Attorney General Har-
mon left office, the case was argued
on his preparation and brief.
The decision In the famous North
ern Securities case was nothing but a
reiteration of the Trans-Missouri
Freight association case.
Undoubtedly the people have been
benefited as much through Governor
Harmons efforts to uphold the Sher-
man anti-trust law as through any
other service ever performed by pub.
lie officer.
I