Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-02-13
POLICY OF WILSON ADM,NisTRA.
TON 70 sE ON ADVANCED
GROUNDS.
NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL
WORK FOR REAL PUNISHMENT
Wilson to Insist on Radical Policy in
Trust Prosecutions and Sets Uphill
Task for His Department Of Justice
-New Jersey Way Probably SLATED
for Wiekershams Job.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, Feb. 1S.-If the fore
word is any index to the succeeding
chapters Of the administration book.
the idea that guilt is personal is going
to run thru the administration Of the
department OF justice in the Wilson
regime.
Predictions OF this sort are being
freely made by men close TO the new
president. They base their belief on the
fact that Governor Wilson has long
preached this doctrine. He entertained
it back in the early days Of his presi-
dency at Princeton. This idea has been
Incorporated in the proposed legisia-
ticn embodied in the seven sisters,
the seven trus; and corporation bills
introduced into the New Jersey legis-
lature and drawn at the instance OF
Mr.. Wilson.
/. Jain Sentences Sought.
Jail sentences for offenders against
the antitrust laws Of the country are
going to be sought by the new attor-
ney general inpursuance Of this idea,
If the lieuteaants of Ny. Wilson have
guaged the situation correctly. Who
ever that official may be, the new
administration will expect him to fight
consistently for the Jail sentence and
eventually land few magnates In
jail. a big trust offender in prison is
rare bird but the new regime hopes
to make an edifying collection.
President Elect Wilson knows. OF
course. that it is no easy thing to get
jail sentence imposed on an offend
er against the antitrust laws. In the
present administration, under Attorney
General Wickersham, this has been
many times attempted In the turpen-
tine trust jail sentences were Sc
cured but a: : rule in a criminal pro-
ceed;ng under the Sherman law it has
been hard enough to get from the
court the imposition OF moderately
heavy fine. to say nothing OF jail SEN
tence. This being so. it looks as If the
attempt to get jail sentences imposed
on conspirators under the antitrust
laws would be uphill business.
Law Changes Needed.
But it may be possible to work more
and more into law the idea that heads
of corporations, their officers and di-
rectors are to be held personally re-
sponsible for what the corporation
does and punished with fine or prison
and perhaps with i'm prisonment alone.
Legislation to give the courts no OPP
ton but TO impose sentence OF Inn
prisonment against those guilty o.
conspiracy to restrain trade has al
ready been proposed in congress. More
is likely to be heard Of it in the Wilson
administration.
The new attorney general is COINS
| to have. not only the important duty OF
running the department Of justice to
peform, but he is also going to be free
| ly consulted when 1t comes to trust
and corporation legislation. This has
f! led to the suggestion that the most
probable man for attorney general Is
| Chancellor Edwin Robert Walker. OF
New Jersey, the man who was chiefly
responsible for drawing the bills deal
| ing with trusts and corporations now
! before the New Jersey legislature.
! Walker is said to have the Wilson idea
about shifting the guilty heads OF cor
/ porations True, he has no monopoly
| on this idea among the aspirants for
! the attorney generalship. but his rela-
tons With Governor Wilson have led
| to much talk recently of his appoint
nient