New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-21
SAYS j. S. SHOULD KEEP
HANDS OFF BUSINESS
John E. Parsons, al Sugar In
quiY, Declares Belief in
Organized Capital.
GIVES IDEA OF ECONOMICS
Thinks Sherman Law Has Never
Been Properly Applicable to
the Larger Corporations
in a Criminal Sense.

In a Criminal Sense.
Il believe in free agency on the part n
tho American people. whether rich or poor
! believe that the natural laws OF TRACE
should be allowed 10 work themselves on
IN industrial affairs. so long as they con
form to the laws Of the country. ] believe
I'm the doctrine Of state rights, and tina
the government should keep hands of
and not attempt to manacle the HANDS
which were trying 10 do fair business
believe in the organization Of capital. II
the organization of labor. in the organiza
ton Of ability. in any way that Is 10 Inc
interest Of the contributors
Those we're some Of the sentiments OK
pressed by John r. Parsons. formerly gen
eral counsel for the American Sugar ke
hning Company. while under examination
as witness Yesterday before the Con
ETessional committee which Is investlgdt
ing the so-called Sugar Trust. With al
the apparent yigor and positiveness OF
Young man. though Mr.. Parsons Is In MS
.izhty-second wear. he held the close at
tention Of most Of the members OF the
committee during It's two sessions. ano
often led individual Congressman into col
lateral arguments on the economic phases
Of the large industrial concerns, partcu-
lirly the so-called Sugar Trust
While Congressman Garrett. of Tennes-
500. was delegated ny Chairman Hard
wick. Of Georgia. to conduct the examina-
ton Of the witness. the ready and radical
answers Of the aged lawyer continually
surprised other members of the commttet
into 40 inquisitive mood. so that they otter
md
Was permitted. at his own request many
times. to enlarge upon the subject under
discus sion Mr.. Parsons had literally pre-
pared his brief prior to appearing oelore
the committee and he cited many
economic authorities and court decisions
IN support of his somewhat radical views
The venerable lawyer could not refrain
from giving some drastic advice to the
much younger committeeman, in a fatherlH
manner. in regard TO recommendations they
might make TO Congress for legislation
which. in his opinion. would greatly benefit
1,.einess conditions. The committeeman
received the witnesses suggestions good nat
uredly. and urged him to so as far as he
liked. so 10 speak. He advised Mr.. Hard
wick 10 draw a law as a substitute for the
sherman antitrust law 50 that lawyers
and laymen would know what 1t meant
and whether the acts of the corporation
would Keep them in or out of Jail
mot Applicable TO Corporations
The witness said that he did not believe
The sherman antitrust law mad ever been
properly applicable 10 large corporations IN
a criminal sense He contended that gov
eminent regulation Of corporations. OUTSIDE
If those of a semi-public nature. which
had 10 ask and receive fsvors from the gov
eminent was runous to business.
zone thing which IS tending TO paralyze
business more than anything else Is the I'M
certainty prevailing as to what business
man can do under the laws and what ne
may be able 10 DO in the future said Mr..
Parsons Lawyers should not be called
upon 10 decide these questions for their
neutrality-suspicious. which puzzle the courts
50 much-and then in the dilemma get
locked up or get their clients into jail
Questioned in regard To the recent de
csions of the United states Supreme Court
in the Standard oil and American Tobacco
cases. the witness said that he believed II
the contention Of the government in those
cases had been upheld i'm its entirety by the
court II would have resulted in one Of the
greatest panics the country had ever
known.
Il believe the Supreme Court recognized
that the sherman Law was wrong. that i
was very injurious TO the community II
general. and they dealt with it as hes
they could" he said.
He said. with all due respect 10 justice
Harlan. that a law shaped after his dis
senting opinion in those cases would throw
the business world into a state Of panic.
There was considerable discussion witt
tho witness by various committeeman a.
t. what the amount OF stock and bonds
Issued hv corporation should be, or d
that subject should not be under striC
government control I'm relation to the ply
steal valuation OF the corporation. The dis
cussiOn arose from the endeavors Of Dir
Garrett 10 learn from the witness what
the physical Valuation was Of the prop
erty of the American Sugar Refining Com
t,any at the time it was organized. The
witness did not furnish much light on thai
subject.
capitalization Includes Brains"
lie explained. however, that bricks anc