The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-13
SELLING PROTECTION TO TRUST
MAGNATES.

Democratic speakers do we'll to
hold up to public condemnation the
spectacle of the National chairman of
the Republican committee going
around "holding up the trusts for
large campaign contributions. 1t was
thought that the campaign of 1896
scored the highest notch in political
corruption and purchase of elections,
but there is one phase of this cam
paign worse than that era of syndi-
Gated political corruption. We refer
of course. to Mr.. Cortelyou's going to
mOnOpolists who live and flourish in
defiance of the law clearly set forth
in the Northern Securities case
and demanding campaign contribu-
tons from them. Imasmuch as Mr.
Cortelyou has been the Secretary Of
Commerce and knows the inside Sc
crets of the trusts, his demand for .
contribution is equivalent to Il threat,
Stand and deliver" Inasmuch as he
is to be Postmaster General and give
out the contracts for carrying the
mails, when he goes to a railroad for
contribution the railroad is afraid
not TO ''come down with the DUST be-
cause it wishes TO get big contracts
at high pay from the next Postmaster
General.
The Wall Street Summary an indie
pendent non partisan paper, takes cog
Dizance of this stand and deliver
program, and in a recent issue says:
ALREADY a number of the largest
corporations in this country, popu-
larry, yet in many cases misleading
~, spoken of as trusts" and hence
likely to lie under the ban of the
Sherman antitrust law, as interpreted
by the Supreme Court of the United
States in the Northern Securities case.
have been approached, yes. actually
lmportuned, by the managers OF the
Republican campaign or their author
lied emiSsarieS to contribute to the
treasury of the national committee.
IN some cases assurances have been
given in the White House that now the
issue raised by the government in the
Northern Securities case has been sus-
tanned by the Supreme Court. certain
ageregatiOns of industrial enterprise
would not be held as coming in the
purvcw of the decision mentioned.
1--WE can state further that the execu-
tives of some of the corporations that
above are not members of the political
party in behalf of which the appeals
have been made, vet they have deem
ed 1t good business judgment to give
the matter their favorable consiiera-
ton.
THE most fragrant case of this
character that has come to our
knowledge is that of the executive Of
one of our larger railroad systems
who has virtually decided that it is
for the best interests of his corpora
ton that in some way substantial
contribution should be made to the
cause represented by Chairman Cor
telyou, because the chairman is slated
for the position of Postmaster General
after March 4, should his efforts TO
retain his party in power be success
full. This corporation. in common with
all other transportation companies.
has constant and sometimes conflicting
Citations with the post office depart
ment. fact that carries great
weight with the executive referred to,
ilarly situated when they are appealed
to for campaign ont"ibuu1OnS.
"This paper is not political organ
in any sense of the word, but. as its
readers know, stands for what is hon
est and upright in the management
of our governmental affairs as we'll rs
in the conduct of commercial and IL
nancial transactions. 1t seems proper.
therefore, and entirely within the pro-
vince of an Independent. non partisan
newspaper to refer to such facts as
may come to it's knowledge from time
to time as have been recited above,
leaving those who read them to draw
their own conclusions