The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-07-11
ROOSEVELT ANTITRUST SPEECH

A short while before adjournment
of congress Representative Richardson,
the democratic leader in the house, said
that trusts n monopolies would be
one Of the leading issues Of the cam
paign. 1t seems that President Roose-
welt has taken heed Of the suggestion
of the democratic leader and is strenu-
ously exerting himself to head off the
democrats in their endeavor to show up
in its true colors this natural conse-
quence of republican rule. The repub-
ucan party does not wish the trust
question discussed before the people as
a campaign issue. They are not, if
they can possibly help it, going TO be
pIaceI before the people in the attitude
OF of trusts or as responsible
for their existence.
The president has suddenly become
very active in taking steps looking to
the enforcement of such laws as exist
for the suppression Of monopolies and
combinations and for devising addition
al legislation for their more effectual
suppression. His recent conference with
the attorney RclSTdl anu SOIS ISSS-
man Littlefeld, of Maine. a noted con-
stitutional lawyer, was for the purpose
of drafting a new bill of this nature, to
be introduced in congress at it's next
session. Mr.. Littlefield was put TO
work on such a measure and will re-
port progress from time to time at fu-
ture conferences.
At Pittsburg on July 4th the presi-
dent was the orator of the day. He
then made some very positive state
ments as to the necessity for control of
the trusts-enforcement of existing laws
and the adoption of more stringent ones.
Follo-ing are extracts from this part
of his speech:
w nave great problems at home to
face. Especially great, especially diff
ficult are the problems caused by the
growth and concentration of great in
dividuai and above all, great corporate
fortunes. 1t is immensely for the inter-
ests of the country that there should
be such individual and corporate wealth
as long as it is used right and when
not used right then it becomes a seri-
Gus menace and danger. The instru-
ments and methods with which we are
to meet these new problems must in
many cases, themselves, be new but the
purpose lying behind the use of these
methods, of those instruments must, il
We are to succeed, be now as in the
past, simply in accord with the immu-
table laws of order, of justice and right.
w may need, and in my belief, will
need, new legislation conceived. in no
radical or revolutionary spirit but in a
spirit of common sense, common nom
.esty and absolute desire to face facts
-- 49,
Legislation but while laws are impor-
tant it is infinitely more important that
they should be administered in accord
.sance with the principles that have
honest administration from the
Foeginning of recorded history .
The department OF justice, justice which
means that each man rich or poor, big
or small, strong or weak, shall have
his rights and shall not be allowed to
do wrong to his fellows. And you, here
of this city, have right to feel proud of
your representative in the cabinet, the
man under whom we can guarantee
that the department. of justice will be
such in fact as we'll as in name.
Special legislation is needed, some of
that legislation must come through mu-
inequalities, some through states, some
through the national government, but
above and beyond all legislation we
need honest and fearless administration
of the laws as they are on the statute
books. Honest n fearless administra-
ton of those laws in the interest neith-
er of the rich man as such, nor of the
poor man as such, but in the interest of
exact and equal justice to all alike, and
such administration you will surely
have while Mr.. n remains as attor-
ney general in the cabinet at Washing
ton"
Mr.. Roosevelt sees the handwriting
IN 80 mol. a-l ~0olf9a- %ho foot slnf
something must be done to prevent the
people declaring at the polls that his
rarty has been weighed in the balances
n Dun wanting. The republican
party must check this growing belief
among the people that it is responsible
for the existence of these immense
combinations of capital made for the
purpose Of debating to the iahorer and
the what the one shall re-
ceive In wages and what the cost of liv-
ing shall be to the othe-. How can it
better attempt this than by making a
show of opposition to these combina-
q tions, by denouncing them and making
pretense of enforcing existing statutes,
at the same time declaring that more
= effective laws should be enacted.
Nh. Roosevelt seems to think the peo-
pie can easily be made to forget that it
is his party that has neglected 70 en-
force the antitrust laws on the statute
books, or that it is his party that has
persistently refused to allow those laws
to be so amended as to make them
more effective; that no longer ago thar
last week the leader of the democrats
in the house urged the republican men,