Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1904-10-13
PULIIzEk'S CHARGES.
WHY ROOSEVELT maze A BUREAU
OF CORPORATIONS.
George B. CorIeIyou Tapping Corpora
tions For Campaign Funds 4
Grave Question.

Your record in your own words, Mr..
President. shows that you began your
| crusade for the regulation of the great
corpOratiO with ali inSiStent appeal
for Publicity in the interests of the
public" You seemed determined to
vindicate the peoples right to Inspect
| and examine the workings Of the great
corporations engaged in interstate COM
merce" even if it We're necessary to
amend the Constitution of the United
! States, believing. with many corpora
| ton lawyers OF your own party-and
Of the Democratic party, for that mat
ter-that the Sherman law was uncon-
stitutiOnal. You demanded this Pub
licity las right from all corporations
affected by the law" and mot as Il ia
| VOr from some corpora TONS
| Your persistence in a gOod cause
| finally triumphed. Congress, under the
pressure Of the public opinion that you
had so skilfully directed, enacted the
legislation you asked for. 1t created
Il Department Of Commerce, with q Blu
reau Of Corporations. 1t extended the
scope Of the interstate Commerce law
to forbid the giving CT receiving Of re-
bates. It passed an act providing for
the special advancement il the United
States courts of cases arising under
the antitrust laws. 1t gave you the
extraordinary, the unprecedented ap-
preparation of $4,000 to enforce stat
utes prohibiting combinations and con-
spiracies il restraint Of trade
:: :: :: ::
The first thing to CO. as you said in
your speech ct Wheeling. was to find
out the facts Your initial step was
to appoint as your Secretary of Com
mcrce your private secretary, George
3. Cortelyou. The Bureau Of Corpora
tons was organized February 26, 1909
more than nineteen months. more
than eighty enthusiastically JS3 days
agO-yes, exactly Five Hundred and
Eighty three Days ago.
Will you kindly tell the country:
l. After these JS3 days Of supposed
activity and official duty, how much
more does the public know about the
conduct and management of these
great corporations than it knew be-
fore?
3 After these $50 days of supposed
activity and official duty, what single
witness has been SubpOenaed?
3. After these $50 days of supposed
activity and official duty, what single
witness has been compelled to testify?
l. After these $50 days Of supposed
activity and official duty, what Gocu-
mentary evidence has been produced?
). After these JS3 days of supposed
activity and official duty, what cOrpor
alton magnate has been compelled to
testify under oath as to secret rebates
on freight charges or other acts Of con-
spiracy in restraint of trade?
6. After these $50 days of supposed
activity and official duty, what does
the public know about the work Of this
bureau Of publicity?
Is there q corporation in the United
States. Mr.. President. whose affairs are
administered in greater secrecy than
are the affairs of your Bureau of Cor
pOrationS. which was created to afford
''Publicity in the interest of the pub
lic?"
Does the public know any less about
the internal workings Of the Standard
Oil Company, for example. than it does
about the internal workings Of this
Bureau Of Corporations?
Yet in your letter of acceptance YOU
have-may l call it the ma gniticant au
dacity TO declare Of the act creating
this bureau and of the related acts:
The Congress that created the Blu
reau of Corporations. which. you say,
has been administered with entire
efficiency" gave yOu the unique. the
extraordinary appropriation of $500
600 to enforce existing laws against
corporations.
What is your record in the eXpendi-
ture OF this money? About $4,000 Of
it has been spent for the purpose to
which it was appropriated. The rest
has been lying idle in the Treasury for
5S3 days.
4 = =
Do you mean to say that you are in
possession of all the data" as to the
reorganization. conduct and manage
ment" of the business Of these corpora
tons? 1t was to collect such data that
the bureau was created
Do you mean to say that this infor-
nation. or so much thereof rs you have
required, has been made public,' as
the law says it shall beg 1t was to
INSULT SUCH ptDlIC1ly ludl Ou dShtu
for this legislation.
On the contrary. Mr.. President, is it
not true that not one word. not one syl-
liable. not one letter has ever appeared
Of that proper publicity about which
you talk so glibly?
But when your Presidential cam
paign began and Mr.. COrteiyOu had
learned all he needed to know of the
secret business affairs of the great
corporations. you made this Grand In
quisitor of Corporations Chairman of
your National Committee.
And why? Was Mr.. COrtelyOu q
member of the National Committee:
No. Was he q member of any commit
tee. State or local? No. Had he any
or experience as campaign
manager? No. Did the veteran pOliti- !
clans of your party desire his appoint
ment? No. Was there-cOuld there be
any reason for his appointment eX-
cept that he knows from "diligent in |
vestigation'' the business secrets of |
these great corporations upon which |
you depend for your campaign fund?
= =
You will pardon a delicate question, |
Mr.. President. but when the most in