New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-17
Mr.. TAFT LONG FAVORED
REASONABLE REGULATION
Presidents UtteranCeS Show
That He Is in Full Agreement
with Standard Oil Decision.
MESSAGE EXPRESSED VIEWS
His Language, in a Communica
tion of January, 1910, Strik-
ingly Analogous to'That of
Chief Justice White.
From The Tribune Bureau

II rom Inc lrlpune bureau
Washington, May Ex-senator La Fol-
lette who. as was 70 be expected. takes
the narrower view Of the proper interpre-
tation Of the Sherman antitrust law
voiced by Justice Harlan. took occa sion
70 call the attention Of the Senate to-
day to a passage in the Presidents mes
sage of January :. 1910, on the interstate
commerce and antitrust laws. and un-
dertook by a comparison with the state
ment issued Yesterday by the Attorney
General to prove Inconsistency in the
views of the Chief Executive.
Senator La Toilette assumes. Of course.
that Mr. Wickershams statement ex-
pressed also the views Of the Executive.
The Wisconsin Senator introduced that
rassage from the Presidents message in
Y hich the Executive discussed posi-
BILE dema rkation between good trusts
and bad trusts" Concluding this sec
tion of his message, Mr. Taft said
1t has been proposed however, that the
word reasonable should be made A
rart OF the statute. and then that il
is a reasonable restraint OF trade. what
is reasonable suppression Of competi-
ton. what is q reasonable monopoly.
venture 10 think that this is TO put into
the hands of the court a power impos-
sible To exercise on any consistent prin-
ciple which will insure the uniformity Of
decision essential TO just judgment. II
is to thrust on the courts a burden that
they have no precedents to enable them
TO carry and to give them a power ap-
preaching the. arbitrary. the abuse of
which might Evolve our whole judicial
system I'm disaster.
Standing alone this statement might
easily he taken 10 indicate decided
discrepancy between the view then en-
tertained by President Taft and those 10
which the Attorney General gave ex-
! ression YESTERDAY, despite the fact that
careful reading Of Mr.. Wickershams
statement shows II 10 have been "A con
densed explanation Of what the court
had decided. rather than an expression
the merits Of that decision And I'm this
connection il Is pertinent TO state that
although reluctant 10 comment on the
decision with 50 little opportunity TO
digest II. the Attorney General merely
Welded TO the opportunities Of newspa-
per correspondents who urged upon him
the necessity which confronted them Of
giving Immediately and in simple phrase
an explanation which would prove COM
prehensive to the general public.
President Agrees with Court.
careful and sincere study OF the
Presidents message of January. 1910
gives evidence Of such striking similarity
between the view then entertained by
the Chief Executive and that voiced
yesterday almost unanimously by the
Supreme Court as 10 make it difficult To
acauit one who had so far studied the
message as 10 find the passage above
quoted of disingenuousness The posi-
bilities of contortion Of meaning by the
selection of single passages are known
~ all intelligent readers. The harmony
between the view expressed more than a
wear ago by the Chief Executive and
that voiced Yesterday by the Chief JUS
lice becomes obvious in the light of ad-
ditional citations from the Presidential
message.
President Taft said, A mere Incl
dental restraint OF trade and competition
Is not within the inhibition OF the act.
but It is where the combination or con-
spiracy or contract is inevitably and di-
Eoutinusd an ssrand maya