The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-12-08

Woutu AAulu Iliu our NAVY US I'LL Insult
ance of peace, to augment our naval
force by at least two battleships year
and by battle cruisers, gunboats, tor
pedo destroyers and submarine boats
In proper proportion. We have no
desire for war. We would so as far as
any nation in the world to avoid war,
but we are world power.
Department Of Justice.
This department. has been very ac-e
tive III the enforcement of the law. 1t
has been better organized and with a
larger force than ever before In the
history OF the government The prose-
cutions which have been successfully
concluded and which are now pending
testify to the effectiveness of the de-
partmental work,
The prosecution of trusts under the
Sherman antitrust law has gone on
without restraint or diminution, and
DEGREES similar to those entered in the
Standard Oil and the tobacco cases
have been entered In other suits, like
the suits against the powder trust and
the hathtub trust. am very strongly
convinced that steady, consistent
course in this regard, with continu-
Ing OF supreme court decisions upon
new phases Of the trust question not
already finally decided, is going to Of
fer q solution of this much discussed
and troublesome issue In quiet, calm
a md {111ipial wi NV radical
legislation changing the governmental
policy in regard to combinations now
denounced by the Sherman antitrust
law.
have already recommended as an
aid in this matter legislation which
would declare unlawful certain well
known phases of unfair competition
in interstate trade, and have also
advocated voluntary national incor,
poration for the larger industrial en-
terprises, with provision for a closer
supervision by the bureau of corpora
tons or a board appointed for the pur-
pose, SO as to make more certain conf
pliance with the antitrust law on the
one hand and to give greater security
to the stockholders against possible
prosecutions on the other.
believe, however, that the orderly
course of litigation in the courts and
the regular prosecution Of trusts charg-
ed with the violation of the antitrust
law is producing among business men
a clearer and clearer perception OF the
line Of distinction between business
| that is to be encouraged and business
| that is to be condemned. and that In
this quiet way the question of trusts
can be settled and competition retain
ed as an economic force to secure rea.
| sonableness In prices and freedom and
Independence in trade
Reform of Court Procedure.
| am glad to bring to the attention
of congress the fact that the supreme
court has radically altered the equity
rules governing the procedure ON the
equity side Of all federal courts, nnt
though. as these changes have not heel
yet put in practice so as to enable us
/ to state from actual results what thu
| reform will accomplish, they are Of
such character that we can reason
4 ably prophesy that they will great,
reduce the time and cost of litigation
| in such courts. The court has adopted
many of the shorter methods of ~
present English procedure, and, while
it may tnke a little while for the pro
| fession to accusttem itself to these
methods, it is certain greatly to facili
| tate litigation. The action of the su
preme court has been SO drastic and 81
4 full of appreciation of the necessity fo
a great reform in court procedure tina
i have no hesitation in following vi
4 this action with 4 recommendation
/ which I foreshadowed in my message
Of three years ago, that the sections o
the statute governing the procedure II
the federal courts on the common Law
side should be so amended ms TO Civ
to the supreme court the same right Il
make rules of procedure in common
law ms they have since the beginnin;
of the court exercised in equity.
/ do not doubt that full considera
i ton of the subject will enable tn,
court while giving effect to the sub
stantial differences in right and RENE
dy between the system of common
Law and the system of equity 30 Il
unite the two procedures into the form
of one civil action and to shorten tn
procedure in such civil action as t
furnish model to all the state court
exercising concurrent Jurisdiction witt
the federal courts of first instance.
i Under the statute now In force tn
common law procedure in each fedora
court is made to conform to the pro
4 cedure In the state in which the cour
is held. In these days, when w
should he making progress in cour
procedure. such conformity statut
makes the federal method too depend
ent upon the action of state legislu
lures. can but think 1t a great OF
pnrtunity for congress to intrust 7
the highest tribunal in this country
evidently imbued with strong spiri
in favor of reform OF procedure. tn
power to frame model code of pre-
cedure, which. while preserving a
that is valuable and necessary of tn
| t;uhto apd rpyues1iac of common lax