Fergus County Democrat., 1911-05-23
IMPORTANT DECISION.

The supreme court OF the United
States last Tuesday handed down
decision in which it declared the
Standard Oil company an illegal COM
bination OF capital and ordered that
the corporation, together with nlne-
teen subsidiary companies, be dis
solved within six months.
The day after the decision was an
nounced, stocks went UP and leaders
OF the financial world said that even
an adverse decision was more to be
desired than the uncertainty which
has existed since the case went before
the highest court in the land. As a
matter Of course, the Standard Oil
will now 60 about rearranglng lts busl-
ness to conform with the mandates
Of the courts, as the national supreme
court is one tribunal beyond which
the giant Rockefeller octopus cannot
go.
The decision finds that the Standard
Oil is trust which has so conducted
its business as to result IN restraint
Of trade, thus contravening an ex-
press provision Of the Sherman anti
trust law.
The decision will have a far-reach-
ing effect, although it is being quite
generally criticized by many OF the
greatest lawyers Of the country, in
Guiding President Taft, who in
Inmates that more harm than good
may result from the findings OF the
jurists, some three or four Of whom
he himself placed in their present
positions. The decision would divide
trusts into two kinds, good trusts
and bad trusts. Their classification
depends upon the "reasonableness' or
"unreasonableness" of the manner in
which thew restrain trade. 1t is con-
tended by the President, and with a
show OF reason which is apparent
even to the layman, that this will at
ford loop-hole for the trusts in all
future prosecutions. Instead OF set
tling, once and for all, what con
stitutes RESTRAINT OF trade" and thus
making it merely matter of fact
rather than of law III determining the
guilt of accused corporations hence
forth, the court left the subject open,
and all of the work on the part of the
government in prosecuting the Stan
dard Oil will have to be repeated
whenever other cases are started.
However, the moral effect Of the
decision will be beneficial to the coun
try at large. 1t will give an increased
confidence in the justice of our court:
and explode the fallacy that the rcl
and powerful are able to evade tht
country's laws even though guilt b,
matter OF common knowledge.
The effect upon the giant corpora
ton itself will probably not be yer,
great, but it will instil in the breast
Of our high and mighty lords 0
finance certain respect, apparent.
hitherto lacking, in legislative enact
ments and judicial Interpretation. |
may serve to bring about a bette
understanding between the heads 0
our vast industrial enterprises an
the people with whom they have mu
tual interests. Beyond question, ther
has been too much Of frenzied finan
clerlng on the part Of our Goulds
Rockefellers, Morgans and Ryans, a
we'll as too much wild-eyed agitatio
and misdirected efforts at reform o
the part of many so-called repre-
sentatives OF the people Financi;
men complain bitterly Of repressi1
legislation, but they will find that II
great common sense Of the peop
will correct this evil just as quick
as the evils OF high finance, Of la,
grabbing, Of water stocks. Of rebate
OF unfair and illegal competition, a
corrected.
Meanwhile, the business world, al
especially that very large portion
it which is effected by the operatio
of the Standard Oil. can now scti
down. They know the law as deli
cred from the court of last reso
They have but to obey it. and tir
may obliterate many of their past 81
from the minds of men,