STANDARD OIL TRUST

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 258, 24 July 1908, Page 7

STANDARD OIL TRUST

ME FIND QUASHED.

APPEAL COURT FINDS LEGAL FLAW. PARENT AND OFFSHOOT. (dt TELEGBAPH—rRESS ASSOCIATION— COPIRIGHT.) (Rec. July 23, 10.2 p.m.) New York, July 23. The United States Circuit Court of Appeal has quashed the twenty-nine million dollars fine agaia.nst tho Standard Oil Company, and has ordered a re-trial.. The Court held that Judge Landis committed irregularities, and that he was,wrong in basing the fine on tho wealth of tho parent company instead of on tho capital of the Standard Oil Company of Indiana. BIG FINE, BIG OFFENDER. Judge Landis imposed his 29,000,000 dollars fine in a prosecution under tho Etkins Act. The oppressive use of tho secret rebate system has been exposed over and over again. The NewYork "Evening Post," in the course of an article, says:—'Granting that the verdict of tho jury against the Standard was well and truly found; that no vitiating error was committed in the trial of the case, there cannot be two minds, it seems to us, about the justice of applying the maximum penalty known to the law. The amount of the fino is tremendous, but it is inflicted upon a tremendous offender. It is no exaggeration to say, as Secretary Garfield is reported as saying, that the Standard has for years conducted itself as if it were above the law. It has snapped its fingers at the punishments laid down in tho statutes. They were for tho little fellows. The law would think twice before damping a corporation with such untold millions at command. Now, to have men of that kind of arrogance brought up with a round turn, is undoubtedly a good thing. It makes for social justice, and so for social content. It helps people to believe that the law is, after all, equal. Sensible men will believe that it is, in intent at least, even if Judge Landis should be reversed for error; though, of course, his reversal now would embitter many against the courts." And this is what has happened.