The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-07-31
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
Attorney General Stone Is After
Binder Irvine and Other Big
So Interests

Washington, D. c., July 29-Har-
land Fiske Stone, Mr.. Coolidge's At
torney General, is putting both gin
ger and ability into the Department
of Justice. Mr.. Stone is not a spec
tacular man, He moves quietly and
cautiously, but with unfinching de-
termination and compelling force.
Without any previous Boosting or ad-
vertising, Mr.. Stone has brought suit
against the binder Irvine trust charg-
ing it with being a monopoly and a
conspiracy in restraint of trade. 1t
costs the farmers of this country
100000 a year for binder Irvine and
nothing could be more reprehensible
than conspiracy to compel them to
pay more for this commodity than is
just and right A long list of banks
and trust companies are also made
defendants in the suit. The Attor-
ney General paid heed to the com
plants of the farmers that they were
being robbed by the binder Irvine
trust, conducted a quiet investigation
and discovered that the trust was
making an annual profit of S1,S00,000
on capital of $1,000. Then he hailed
the members of the trust into court.
Give Mr.. Stone a little time and he
will teach wealthy law-breakers that
they are as amenable to the law as
anyone else.
Another suit instituted by Attorney
General Stone is designed to break
up the fraudulent practice of import
ing high grade woods free by wrap
ping them with carpet woods which
are on the free-hst. Mr.. Stone start
ed an investigation to ascertain the
cause. Again there was no blare of
trumpets. 1t was all done very quiet
ly. But now suit has been entered to
forfeit to the United States an impor-
tation of wool valued at S1,500,000.
There are a number of technicalities
involved but at least the suit will have
the effect of lettering the smuggling
of fine grade woods by packing them
inside of course, duty free grades.
Further elimination of the consti-
tutional provisions to be invoked in
case the Electoral College fails to
elect a President has revealed that,
as the House now stands, such failure
would be attended with grave peril.
Failure of the Electoral College to
give a majority to any candidate
would send the election to the House.
There the members vote by states and
as there are AZ states, % would be re-
quired for a majority. AS the House
stands-and it is the present House
that would have to act-there would
be % Republican votes, 20 Democratic
and 5 La Toilette votes. This would
mean deadlock, for no one can mag
inc La Toilette releasing his support
ers to vote for either Coolidge or Dav-
is, and the constitution limits the
choice of the House to the three high
est candidates in the Electoral Col
lege which, Of course, would be the
candidate named. If the House has
not elected by March 4, the Constitu-
ton provides that the Senate shall
make the choice of a vice-president
and he shall be President, but its
choice is limited to the two candidates
who have received the highest votes
H. rl,o
be of course, Dawes and Bryan. Who
would be Chief Executive while the
Senate was making its choice is a
question. Some think Secretary
Hughes. Others contend that he
cannot hold over his term. All of this
means chaos and confusion worse con-
founded.
1t is dawning on the students of the
political situation that vote for La
Toilette can mean only the defeat of
the will of the people, of the majority
vote. If the choice of President were
made by the House it would be the
present House, including all the lame
ducks defeated in November. AS the
Representative can vote only by
states majority of one might sway
state delegation, might compel
Democratic state which had gone Re-
publican or vice versa, by the vote of
one lame duck, to vote against the
convictions of the majority of the vot-
ers in the State. If the election went
to the Senate it would be the present
Senate and the Senate would have no
choice save between two men that no
party ever nominated for President,
DAVIS and Bryan. A vote for LIE Fol-
Iette is, therefore, clearly vote to