The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1911-05-19

L
COURT
The Supreme Court OF the United
States has this week decided two cases
Of far reaching importance to the people
Of this country
The case brought by the government
to dissolve the Standard Oil Company
as a monopoly in restraint of trade and
business has been pending for some
time
The delay was in a measure unavoid
able because of the death Of two of the
Judges Of the court and the illness of
another This delay was unfortunate 10
the country in more than one way.
Ii was unfortunate because it was
against the largest corporation perhaps
in the world alleged to be a monopoly
and for that reason gave the protest Or
the right TO say that you prosecute big
men in big business, and that in this
case guilt is never personal, and is only
personal in the case of'poor men and
business that has not rich men and
| plCHtN ot ulOiCg dHQ pun BCiiiA IT.
1t is very unfortunate for the country
that this sentiment is abroad, both for
the people as well as for the courts.
= The Supreme Court has at last decided
i the case, and while it was desirable that
there should have been a decision, it was
far more desirable that the decision
should have been a sound one and in
the interests Of the people. Eight of the
nine judges coucurred in the decision,
Nc but Judge Harlan, the Oldest, and one
S OF the ablest Judges, filed very strong dis
II senting opinion.
VI The point Of the decision was that the
% Sherman Antitrust Law was only
- meant 10 restrain a monopoly in re-
Il straint Of trade and business when such
Il monopoly was unreasonable carried out
'o' So that the great question hereafter
A will be in every case whether a monop-
oily of any kind is doing business reas-
: onably or unreasonaby.
N The court does not undertake 10 say
te, what IS reasonable and what is not reas-
It enable.
Hs 1t can readily be seen that this is a
question that il will be next to impossible |
to determine in any and every case, that
arises anywhere in the country. In every |
r1 case the monopoly will saw, as the
"a Standard Oil Company has said in its
FL case that its business was reasonable and /
e was properly conducted. In every case
+ that arises hereafter the government
~. will have to prove that the party or mo- /
l. nopoly is doing business unreasonabiy .
in regard TO restraint Of business. This, (
~ Of course, will be most difficult thing
TO prove.
In the case of the Standard Oil Com
cho pany its business and character was
i a such that all of the world knew that it
rs.o was the most oppressive and stupendous
r; monopoly that the world ever saw. and I
OF course. the court ordered its dissolu
i;ar ton within six months, but how it will be
oru dissolved is quite another and different
All question.
= 1t is great octopus-like corporation
= with its branches all over the country. |
10 . Wherever there was an independent oil
= business being carried on in any part
Fri OF the country that it desired, it simply
iss set up its business and put prices so low
Rue that the little business was crushed out
ISIS II ane had to sell out to the Standard Oil
a. ia Company until it acquired nearly the I
:. De entire business OF the United States and
'"'i became the most prosperous business
Z ever heard of in the world. and more
It s. Immense fortunes were realized from it
. than from any business ever known
r. The Republican party gave the Oil
n Y Trust high tariff that shut out all oil
from our boarders and the trust crushed
"a 81 out all competition at home.
unh Now suppose it does dissolve what
here will the dissolution be?
unds II may simply divide up all of the
led accompanies which compose it, and each
here b will then carry on the business in its own
On .>rterritory, and yet all continue to be the
III atStandard Oil Company and then divide
ther feup the profits of the business among all
n wi nof the stockholders, the same as il did
Iiss before the dissolution.
ndlnp So not much is gained by the decision
,. JDn of the court outside of the fact that
,hos. athere has been decision, and that the
n on decision was not in favor of the Stand
lib an'H ard Oil Company.
orge
ndda