The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-18
SOCIETY HEARS
FINAL ARGUMENTS
Counsel Tor Standard Concludes
in Brilliant Oratorical
Effort.
CORPORATION TAX CASE UP
Constitutionali,y OF Amendment
Attacked i'll Supreme
Court.

Washington, d. C.. January l7.-so.
siety. headed by Mrs. Taft, came out
In force to-day TO listen to the cIosina
arguments in the famous suit of the
COVE nmcnt FOR the dissolution Of tho
STANDARD Oil Company of New Jersey
Under the Sherman antitrust law.
Mrs TAFT and those accompanying her
were given seats OF honor within the
oar Acknowledgement wickersham be-
San his closing remarks for the gov
ernment as soon as the court con
vened
IN brilliant oratoricai effort John
Il Johnson. leading counsel for the
Standard Oil organization, concluded
to-day the long oral argument before
the Supreme Court on the proposed dis
soluiion of the Standard Oil COMPANY
Of New Jersey.
In marked contrast with Mr.. John
sons effort was the plain. unpreten-
tious summary OF the governments sid
of the case by .Attorney- General Wick
crsham.
Nowadays We hear a great deal OF
what are stigmatized .reactionary
courts" said Mr. Johnson. "by which
! understand the courts that go TO the
statutes a : printed and 10 the volumes
of decisions by which the law Is set.
lied. and not TO the files OF newspapers
Sogucs
scuciit of Corporations.
In moment Of hysierical contcm.
plation Of the sins of others-for wo
are never so apt to cXagGeratc our
own-we are apt to mistake the extent
of Others and the remedy to be applied
In the case OF these large corporations.
the need is not for their eXtirpation.
by their mere largeness the country
does not suffer. Without these corpo-
rations prices would be higher; hun
drcds of millions of men would be de-
prived of employment and our foreign
trade (nlore and more dependent upon
our manufactures, because of the
alarming increase of growth in our
populs ton, which consumes our agri-
cultural products) would be destroyed.
We should have no chance in. the COM
petition of the world for trade with n
rival like Germany, the most intclli-
gent of them all, which, by settled leg
islation, fosters the combination which
you are asked 10 condemn as criminal.
Mr. Johnson then replied TO the
warning OF Mr.. Kellogg that unless
the Sherman law was enforced the
out of business within 1--WE years.
MIR. Kellogg need not fear any over.
fondncss for these corporations by
Judges" said MIR. johnson, land ha
hardly need lose any sleep over their
receiving any favor from juries
LET the channels of commerce be
open for all who may desire to enter,
whether with ocean steamer or dugout.
with Rockefeller wealth or with naught
| Dut their brains and their hands, uu-
fcttcrcd by their own improper re-
straints and uninterfcrcd with b. the
abuse OF others and all will have done
! That which is wise. Beyond that lies
.he antagonism of irrepressible eco
aomic necessity and danger of disaster.
:hc length and breadth of which no
man can, tell
Canstitutlonality Attacked.
The fnai assault on the constitutions
atty Of the corporations tax provisions
of the Paync-Aldrich tariff act Of 1893
began to-day in the supreme Court OF
;hc United states For two hours
Maxwell Evarts. OF New York, argued
that The law was void. Tomorrow
Frederick w. Lehman, solicitor gen
cral for the Department of Justice. Will
defend the law. Mr.. Evarts appeared
as counsc, for Stcllah Fling. guardian
Of Samuel J. Stone. owner of stock in
the Stone-Tracy Company, OF Windsor
VI. She sought TO prevent the cor
poration from paying the tan. II was
contended that the tax was unconslitu-
tional principally because IL fell upon
the corporate franchise of the com
pany. In so doing it invaded the
sovereignty OF the state. he. urged
While the law on It's face said 1t was
| tax upon the doing of business
| Mr.. ITvarts told the court that "the
| burdens OF this law, falling upon the
| defendant corporation because 1t has a
corporate charter. and because 1T acts
in corporate capacity, are burdens
Continued on Gage siAl 71,1