Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-09
JAMESTOWN SPEECH TAKEN TO
INDICATE ATTITUDE OF
PREs,pENT.ELEcr.
UrTERANcE OF SIX
YEARS AGO CITED
New Executive Expected to Take
Drastic Measures Against Maisfaetors
Of Great Wsaith-Must Have comps.
tent Attorney General 10 Carry Out
Mohs Severe Measures Than Taft's.
Ispec ial Correspondence.l

Washington. Jan. 9.-The fact that
the supreme court of the United States
is busily engaged in putting teeth into
the Sherman anti trust law and every
little while adding something to the
Interpretation Of that statute to make
it more effective leads to d lot of specu-
lation as to just what Wilson will do
when president to make that law more
drastic.
The answer Is found, according 10
some of the friends of Governor VIII
son, in a speech he made July 4, l9o''
at the jamestown exposition. In that
speech he took a position which Tor
that day was an advanced one and de-
clared against the fining OF big corpor-
atoms that did not observe the Sher-
man law and for the criminal prose-
cution and Imprisonment OF the re-
sponsib IDLE heads of such corporations.
Attituds Expressed In Speech.
This speech stirred i. lot of talk
among those who heard It at the time
but il was soon forgotten. How, IN
searching for list Of the things Gov
ernor Wilson has said on the enforce
ment Of the Sherman law, someone has
dug up the Jamestown speech and from
it, it is inferred that when he becomes
president Governor Wilson will set out
to throw certain law violating mag
mates and malfactors of great wealth
into the cold dank cells CT some con-
venie mt prison
Over six years have elapsed since
Governor Wilson made the speech in
question but his friends here think ne
has not changed his mind.
Neutrality-suspicious. Attorney General.
In any event, the enforcement OF the
anti-tr laws is going to be one OF
the big problems of the Wilson ad-
minie:ratior and unless the president
chooses a comps tent man for attorney
general he is going to be in hot water.
The supreme court has added much to
tho effectiveness of the Sherman law
in the last two or three years and
there is now little excuse for an attorney
general not making the law an efficient
istrument in breaking up combinations
in restraint of trade.
The decision Of the court this week
in the cotton corner case Is one that
will add much to the far-reachings scope
Of the law. BY virtue Of this decision,
the practice of running corners IN
wheat, cotton. and other commodities
which are necessaries OF life Will be
broken UP.
Recent Decisions Important.
The recent decision which broke up
the Union Pacific merger rs another
which has greatly reinforced the de-
partment Of justice. Had the court
taken the position that the Southern
Pacific was not competitor OF the
Union Pacific and that a merger OF the
two systems was not in contravention
Of law, 1t would have made 1t almost an
impossibility for the courts to interfere
with railroad mergers. The New Hav-
on situation. 1t is not unlikely, VIII
be reached by the effect OF this de-
cision.
Much ae the Standard Oil and tobac-
co trust decisions have been criticised.
their effect on the whole has been to
strengthen the Sherman law. These
decisions have demonstrated that re-
CARELESS of the size Of a combination
the courts are able to reach 1t under
this statute. Many believe that If the
reorganization DEGREES il these cases
had gone to the supreme court, they
would have been much more stringent
May Jail Miiiionairss.
Suits which are in progress now. II
the government is upheld, will greatly
add to the force of the Sherman law
For instance, the government i'm the
case against the Kellogg Toasted Corn
Flake Company has set out to break up
the practice Of manufacturers fixing
prices at which jobbers shall sell to
retailers and at which retailers shaii
sell to consumers.
If Mr.. Wilson is going to take steps
much advanced beyond those that have
already been taken in Sherman law
enforcement he will be obliged to Sc
cure few Jail sentences for million
cries To do this. 1t may be added. is
easier said than done. Attorney Cen
eral WicXersham processes to want the
! same thing. But he has had trouble
getting the courts to look at 1t that
way.