The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-06

bCCu PO .& A8 lntO tno tlCdS0Ay oAA Su~ more f " and all the more plenti- fully ause of the attitude taken by me d which, 1t is true, have en- forced from day to day.
 Does Not Deny Ccntributions.
 The President does not deny the says; .,,..., to the Republican Committee as contri- buttons have been made to the Dem Parkers' assertion Is in effect that such contributions have been made for im- proper promise, direct or indirect, on the part of recipients.
 That is the only paragraph in Pres ident Roosevelt's statement which touches either directly or indirectly on the question as to whether the trusts have made contributions to the Repub- lfcan campaign fund. It is almost in terms of admission that the trusts have
 Tn coupling the Democratic cam paign fund with the Republican cam paign fund the President attempted to so associate the two that a denial of out duplicating the Democratic Com mittee. He Is in a position to know what contributions have been made to the Republican National Committee by the trusts. If there had been no trust contributions, say so.
 He has waited until the closing hour of the campaign to make easier the pretense of an answer. But 1t Is not an answer. It Is confession with plea of avoidance addressed to kindly and generous people.
 Admitted by Root.
 "If there was any doubt of the source of his great campaign fund. 1t Is no longer 2 matter of suspicion. for MT; war. frankly admitted last night that the trusts and corporations were heavy contributors. He denied only that the total amounts thus acquired or util' ized were as large as in previous years. Moreover. the Republican candidate himself denies only that definite im- munity from prosecution has been promised trusts for their assistance. % = give them a square deal as the term may be interpreted. not by the laws of the land, but by himself. It is plain that when the time shall come to deter Government of the United States and the contributing trusts really is, the beneficiary of the generosity of the lat- ter must either recognize their service or confess himself guilty of base in- gratitude.
 "The Presidents argument and his position seem to justify trust contribu' tions, and the inference he would have the public draw from his utterance Is. of course, that contributions have been made by the trusts to the Democratic National Committee At this time. statement which I had not intended to made. To MT. Roosevelt, say this: "I requested the hemocratie National campaign managers, Mfr, President, thai from any trust, money for campaign purposes. notified them that ' pro posed, if elected. to enter upon the dis l charge of the duties of that great of- fee unhampered by any obligation to lntQRAAtR
 Prefers Defeat to Fctteru. 'I said to them that I would rather be defeated than to be fettered in the efforts to accomplish reforms that are | solely needed. And am advised by them that my request has been scrupu- | lously respected
 Instead of cooperation with me in checking this monstrous evil, which se- rIousIy threatens the liberties of our people, you called into consultation your late Attorney-Genera and from | that consultation he came out to make an attack upon me for venturing to criticize the attempt of the trusts to l control the election. He did not an swer the charges or attempt to. He did attempt to divert public attention I regret to say to you that 1t then seem :. | ed apparent to me, MT President, that | you regarded the election of moro im- portance than the checking of this evil.
 Later I called attention to events
 asSy %nsh BT saSs
 
 pers. following the enactment of 8
 statute authorizing the creation of the bureau of labor and commerce. l Now let me recite them here, as l
 have recited them before. A new de- | partment of the government was ere | ated--the Department of Commerce. To that Department was intrusted in | quisitorial power over the great trusts and corporations of the country. Its
 head, the Secretary of Commerce. was
 made a cabinet officer. half mil
 lion dollars was appropriated for its | work, of which sum very little has l been expended.
 '"The President placed at the head of
 this great department, empowered to
 corporations engaged in interstate | commerce, his private secretary. who
 held that position for some months.
 when he resigned and was made chair
 these facts are not challenged in the
 statement of the President. nor can
 they be.
 | The statute was passed and money | was appropriated to probe the trusts Cortelyou was appointed at the head | of 1t. He was without experience in
 national politics and yet the President Cortelyou as Chairman of the National
 Now that this intended crime
 against the franchise has been exposed
 in time. now that contributions of money by the great monopolies looking 2 1 for a continuance of old favors or 1 seeking new ones stands admitted:
 now that these contributions have been 1 made in such sums as to induce and permit the most lavish expenditures | ever made, we. as a people. will fall | in our duty if we shall not rebuke at l the polls this latest and most fragrant ! attempt to control the election. not for | legitimate business conducted for | proper ends. but in order that the few | may still further strengthen their hold l upon our industries. We shall rue it. | if, as a people, we do not make this
 rebuke so emphatic that the offence
 will never again be repeated.
 But this is not enough. We should | take every possible precaution to se-
 cure both congress and the presi-
 dency in order to assure legislation 1 which will remove this Illegal business
 from all lines of our official life. Legislation Needed
 The purpose should be avowed and l it should be pursued with unrelenting fidelity. to procure legislation which shall make 1t a crime for the officers | of a trust or corporation to contrI- | bute money for the control of an cleo | ton of any kind. and If 1t should do
 SO to provide for their punishment in l the most effective way
 not of men, it does not seriously mat | fer whether one man or another holds The great office of president of the | United States. but the opportunities in SO apparent that they should be em-
 nIoyed for the highest purposes. | 1c,roat as are the problems before us | in inc near future, political, industrial and social. in my Judgment none Is so pressing as this. tne greStest Of moral | Jt lies at the foundation of all other l nroblems, and its settlement by the ab-