Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-04

of all the public. Favoritism in the use
of such powers, unjustly enrichlns
some and uniustly impoverishing 9TH
ers, discriminating in favor OF some
places and against others is palpapiy
violative of plain principles of 1ustlce.
Such a practice unchecked is hurttui
in many ways. Congress, having hao
it's attention drawn to the matter, en-
acted Il most important anti-rebate
law, which greatly strengthens the IN
terstate- commerce law. The vigorous
administration of this law, and 1t Will
be enforced, will, it is hoped, afford a
substantial remedy for certain trust
evils which have attracted public at
tention and have created public un-
rest"
The president paid a high tribute to
Attorney General Knox in referring to
the suit against the railroads of the
middle west and against the Northern
Securities company and continuing,
said:
at nearly the same time the disclos-
ure respecting the secret rebates en-
joyed by the great packing-house COM
panies, coupled with the very high
price of meats, led the attorney general
to direct an investigation into the
methods Of the so-called beef trust
The result was that he filed bills for
injunction against six of the principal
packing house companies. and res
strained them from combining ana
agreeing upon prices at which they
would sell their products in states other
than those in which their meats were
prepared for market. Writs of iniunc.
ton were issued accordingly, and since
then, after further argument, the Uni
ted States circuit court had made the
injunction perpetual"
Reviews Work Done.
After reviewing the various meas
ures in the direction of regulation the
brief .-,tline Of the most important
step <slative and administrative,
taken during the past eighteen months
in the direction of solving. so far
as at present 1t seems practicable by
national legislation or administration
to solve. what we call the trust prob
lem. They represent sum of very
substantial achievement. They rep
resent a successful effort to de-
wise and apply real remedies an
effort which SO far succeeded because
it was made not only with resolute pur-
pose and determination, but also in a
spirit of common sense and justice. as
far removed as possible from rancor,
hysteria, and unworthy demagogic ap-
peal. In the same spirit the latws will
continue to be enforced. Not only Is the
legislation recently enacted effective,
but in my judgement 1t was imprac-
ticable to attempt more. Nothing OF
value is to be expected from ceaseless
agitation for radical and extreme leg
islation. The people may wisely, and
with confidence, await the results which
are reasonably to be expected from the
impartial enforcement of the laws
which have recently been placed upon
the statute books.
Many of the alleged remedies advo-
Gated are Of the unpleasantly drastic
type which seek to destroy the disease
by killing the patient. Others are so
obviously futile that 1t is somewhat diff
ficult to treat them seriously or as be-
ing advanced in good faith. High among
the latter place the effort to reach the
trust question by means of the tariff.
You can, of course, put an end to the
prosperity Of trusts by putting an end
to the prosperity of the nation; but
the price for such action seems high.
The alternative is to do exactly what
has been done during the life OF the
congress which has just closed-that is,
to endeavor, not to destroy corpora
lions, but to regulate them with view
of doing away with what ever is OF evil
in them and of making them subserve
the public use. The law is not to be
in the interest of the poor
man as such nor yet in the interest
Of the rich man as such, but in the In
terest of the law-abiding man, rich or
poor. We are no more against organ
ization of capital than against organ
izations of labor. We welcome both
demanding only that each shall do right
and shall remember its duty to the re-
public"