The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-16
Pomerene Insists Govern
ent Should Prosecute Oil
and Tobacco Men.
|IARES THE LAW IS
NOT BEING ENFORCED
That the Attorney General
Instructed to Prosecute
at Once.


1crone, in speech today called
: /he attorney general to undertake
'ninal prosecution Of the officers of
Sfandard Oil and American Tobac.
Iompanies under the recent decision
He United States supreme court in
cases of the two corporations.
Re did not ask for action on his
I|otion instructing the attorney gen.
\ 10 begin the suits, giving way to
TOR Nelson. who desired to speak
canadian reciprocity, but he will
y for a vote in the immediate flu
king UP cudgels in behalf of At
|ey General Wickersham, whom Mr.,
Irene had criticised, Senator
ron declared that the present head
Ehe department or justice had
we'd more results in his prosecu
I Of trusts than any Of his predeces-
He said Mr.. Wickersham did not
ire Instructions from congress to
lis duty.
<aator Nelson created diversion,
~ IN applauding Mr. Wickersham S
he declared that the present gov
n of Ohio, JudsoD Harmon. when
Iruey general in President Cleve.
8 cabinet. had said the Sherman
trust law was dead letter Both
tors Pomerene and Hitchcock
Immediately on their feet 10 re-
That is mere Imagination, said
Nebraska senator. Mr.. Harmon
the official who first breathed
life into the law.
Says Law Is Specific.
he Ohio senator declared at the out
{hat the Sherman antitrust law
<pecifc in lis authority 70 press
"a suit against conspirators who
in their trade. He contended
The lawyers doubts OF the mean
Of the statute were "in proportion
The size of the fees they receive
h their clients" and that the inter.
iation of the law by the supreme
II of the United States was clear.
Now with those plain findings OF
! and conclusions by the court that
statute has been violated,' be
l. L"wbat reason can be given by
\ worn court official for not contin
4 his fight against them In order to
IL them to the bar Of .justice7 What
Ise can any lawmaker or any execu'
official give TO the people Of this
'otry for failure to enforce this
4 when they are every day cxertine
selves to punish infractions of the
& against other transgressors with
\ money and less influence at their
uanG7. a decent sense of self re
n requires the government either tc
rec this law or to repeal it. -
telaring that if criminal prosecu'
had been undertaken when the
was first enforced. there would
been no such confusion of power
rexemplified by either of the two
siorations under discussion, Mr.
irene said that the ruling of tho
,icIne court must be followed W
ky in the most vigorous fashion
the fruits of those victories will
/ost to the government and to the
i; speaking for myself he said. al
~ 1t is high time that the Amer
q people should understand whether
: <tRrs and stripes are 10 be the en-
u of their power and authority, OF
: her that emblem shall be the oil
4 or the tobacco tag
4 Law Constantly Violated.
|rre senator summarized the opinion;
5<1e supreme court in these decisions
N Icontended that they disclosed thai
8 Explorations and their officials
Il been violating the law since it:
ge In 1890. He declared there wa:
<dent for his resolutions of in
q 5ton to the attorney general, in.
zen as the latter had failed TO un
= ke the criminal litigation, al
m il is provided for in the anti
J, Law.
! |nu attorney general is but a crea
u of the law he said CHS Office
g effated by congress. He IS clothed
|, u snch powers and required to per
such duties as congress sees fl
emand of him. 1t can add to or i
q axe away from those power:
ever in its judgment it is deemed
IL not proposed that this resolu
- <uall have the same force and eff
p4s q statute. but it is proposed u
q, tFc TO the department OF Justice il
. eItpcertain, way that the congress!
a. made him and clothed MIN Will
IS cognizant of the fact that tn,
Il pas been violated; that the cour
*o declared; that for twenty-on,
4 no respect has been paid by an.
y "ess defendants 20 tine provision
~ Jaw. and that, in the iudgmcn
4 'ngress. lie ought 10 begin thes'
Y phi proceedings and prosecute. anc
,6 ssolntlon instructs him so to 4,
pp 2er that the majesty Of the Law
" be preserved"
atoT Pomerenc closed with an ap
3 y. 20 the senate Cor snnrnrt Cor ~.