Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1903-04-09
TALKS ON TRUSTS
PRECEDENT ROOSEVELT SPEAKS
ON THAT SUBJECT At
LWAukEE.
SPENDS THE DAY IN BADGfRDOm
OUTLINES THE STEPS TAKEN sY
CONGRESS TOWARD soLV-
ING PROBLEM.
LAWS PASSED ARE Effective
WISCONSIN LEGISLATURE Elk
TENDS A WELCOME TO THE
PRESIDENT.


Roosevelt was the guest Of the Mil
waukee Merchants and Manulactui'
ers' association at banquet al 'he
Plankinton house last night, the &C.
casion being the grand climax OF the
presidents ten hours visit to Mliwan-
kee. Covers were laid tor ooo repre-
sentative citizens.
The president sat in the center OF
long table with other guests OF nonof.
At his immediate right sat united
States Senator Joseph V. Quarles'
while r. A. Wadhams, president OF the
Milwaukee Merchants and Manu1ac-
turers' association and POSTMASTER OF
the occasion, was seated at his lett.
After the banquet had been served.
Toastmaster Wadhams introduced
President Roosevelt. who responded to
the toast "The President of the Unit
ed States" President Roosevelt took
this occasion to give his views ON
The Subject of Trusts.
The president briefly reviewed the
economic conditions which made pos
sible the socalled trusts. He set 1orth
the efforts which have been made in
the past to regulate the evil and gave
the history of some Of the NEST I'M
portant suits which have been brought
against these combinations, notably
the Northern Securities merger. which
he dwelt on at some length. The pres
ident then briefly outlined the most
important steps, legislative and adj
ministrative, 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 problem.
"They represent" said he, "a sum
of very substantial achievement. They
represent successful effort to devise
and apply real remedies; an effort
which so far succeeded because it was
made not only with resolute purpose
and determination, but also in a
spirit of common sense and justice. as
far removed as possible from rancor.
hysteria, and unworthy demasosis ap-
peal.
Laws Will Be Enforced.
elm the Same spirit the laws will
continue to be enforced. Not only is
the legislation recently enacted ef-
fective. but in my judgment it was
impracticable to attempt more. Moth
ing of value is to be expected from
ceaseless agitation for ,',ical and ex-
IRENE legislation. Sic r&ople may
wisely. and With co':,:;..:''~f: await the
results which arc reaso.Ihly TO be eS-
pected from the impartial enforcement
of the laws which have recently been
placed upon the statGte looks. Leg
isiation of a general and indiscrim-
mate character would be sure to fail,
either because it would involve all in
terests in a common ruin, Or because
it would not really reach any evil. We
have endeavored to provide 'isn.'im-
mating adaptation Of the remedy to
the real mischief.
MANY Of the alleged remedies adj
vocated are Of the unpleasa.tti' drastic
type which seeks to dest:e.y lac dis
ease by killing the pat;a..t. Others
are so
Obviously Futile
that it is somewhat difficult to treat
them seriously or as being advanced
in good faith. High among the latter
I place the effort to reach the trust
question by means of the tariff. You
can, of course. put an end to the pros
perity of the trusts by putting an end
to the prosperity of the nation; but
the price for such action seems higsl.
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
tions, but to regulate them with a
view of doing away with whatever is
of evil in them and of making them
subserve the public use. The law is
not to be administered in the interest
of the poor man as such, nor yet in
the interest of the rich man as such,
but in the interest of the law abiding
man. rich or poor. We are no more
against organizations of capital than
against organizations of labor. We
welcome both. demanding only that
each shall do right ard shall remem-
Der its duty to the republic"