The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-21
TRUSTS ARE DOOMED.
General Wiei1eFsham Predicts They
Win Go to Pieces


Hancock. Mich. July 2l.-Biz com
binations like the Standard Oil com
pany and the tobacco trust" are going
TO be ''split mp into a number OF sep
arate and distinct parts" without con
nection or monopoly power.
This was the prediction in an address
made here today by Attorney General
Wiekersham, answering people Who
are saying the decisions Of the supreme
court don't really mean anything
Don't believe any such talk" the
attorney general said. Criticisms
seeking to minimize the value OF the
supreme court decisions came largely,
he added, from those who would Ike
to embarrass the administration with
the sort of general ASST lt on all
business which would compel every
business man to turn to tsie other party
for relief
Incidentally. Mr.. Wickersham took
occasion TO trace the guiding hand Of
President Taft in the policy of the de-
partment of justice concluding his
speech with the remark that mo mat
ter who should be at the head of that
department, so long as William h TAFT
is president, no other policy could obs
tain"
Mr.. Wiekershana then gave an
account Of the activities Of the peo-
pies law office" the department of
justice.
First Of ALL" ne said there are the
great trust cases. The government
scored great victories there, Do not
let anybody deceive you as 20 that II
the court had held that eV cry contract
that put any restraint Of any kind upon
commerce among the states however
light. was a violation % the Sherman
law. the department of Justice would
have had to illustrate the truth OF
what Edmund Burke said You can't
draw an indictment against nation
There are not lawyers enough IN the
government. nor for that matter. IN
the country, to draw Indictments
against everybody who makes con-
tract that in any respect operates in
some measure to restrain Interstate
commerce
A Means to an End.
But when the supreme court said Ue
must read this statute as reasonable
men and give it an Interpretation that
viii not strange all trade, but which
Will prevent any undue restraint, pro-
nibit all contracts and combinations
that are intended to interfere with the
natural course OF tra6e--then the court
gave US a means OF preventing those
evils which led to the enactment OF
the law. And this is especially so IN
view OF the fact that the court gave
I'll AcIEE 10 Tile DI1DAH4lAgl4 VI lADi4-
OPciies and by its DEGREES has ordered
the breaking up OF the two largest and
most successful m0nOpohes or trusts
which ever have appeared in this
country.
Some people are saying that these
decisions don't really mean anything.
thst the iig trusts viii simply reorgan-
lie under otEer forms and go on just As
before. Don't believe any such talk
Take my assurance for it that those
big combinations ere going TO split up
into a number OF separate and distinct
Parts, no one Of which shall have any
connection or control over any other,
and no ore OF which shall have so large
a percentage of the business as to be
anything ike a monopoly. That is
what I understand the court to require,
and nothing less will meet my inter
probation Of the decisions of the SUI
preme court
Pays It's Way.
Well, YOU have put in the hands Of
your department OF justice a great
many other laws to enforce and We
have beer enforcing them, and We shall
go on enforcing them unless congress
next fall shall fail to give US money
enough to do SO. For you can't work
Up evidence ana punish viola tious of
law all over the United States and keep
a general supervision OF il all from
Washington and meet the opposition If
the aoiest lawyers and the highest
priced lawyers of the United States,
and win out, without spending money.
and yet, even 50. we collected more
money as a result Of the suits brought
and prosecuted than it cost Uncle sam
to run the entire legal establishment Of
the goycrnment-the department ar
Washington and all the district attor-
neys offices in the whole country put
together; besides Ill the special coun-
sci employed TO assist the district at
torneys and the attorney general.
And while the final figures are not
IN for the last fiscal year, believe We
snail make an equally good showing for
that year.
While there has been recently some
criticism OF some OF the fees paid, it
has largely come from lawyers who
nave not had any experience with
large, complica ted cases. or from p9-
Htical opponents and IL has utterly fg-
nored the splendid achievements OF the
lawyers who received what are referred
TO as large fees, but which are really
small fees for the work they did. and il
also ignores the fact tEat private
clients would have paid their lawyers
many times as much had they been
equally successful. ard, indeed. I miss
my guess badly if the governments
law yers in the Standard Oil and t.
oacco trust cases. successful as they
We're. got fees one-quarter the SIZE Of
these that were paid to the counsel for
the unsuccessful parties in those suits