The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1904-06-25

II
operation OF corporations engaged in
Interstate commerce; and on Febru-
airy 10. 1908. an act enlarging the pow
ers OF the Interstate Commerce Com
mission and of the courts, To deal with
secret rebates in transportation
charges. which are the chief means
by which the trusts crush out their
smaller competitors.
The attorney general has gone on
in the same practical way, not TO talk
about the trust. but to proceed against
| the trusts by law for their regulation.
| In separate suits fourteen OF the great
railroads OF the country have been re-
strained by injunction from giving IL
legal rebates to the favored shippers.
who by means OF them were driving
out smaller shippers and monopolizing
the grain and meat business OF the
country.
The beef trust was put under in
| junction. The officers OF the railroads
engaged in the cotton carrying pool,
affecting all that great industry OF the
South. were indicted and have aban-
doned their combination.
| The Northern Securities Company,
which undertook by combining in one
| ownership the capital stocks OF the
| Northern Pacific and Great Northern
Railroads to end traffic competition In
| the Northwest. has been destroyed by
vigorous prosecution expedited and
brought to a speedy and effective con-
II. H..
The right Of the Interstate Com
merce Commission TO compel the pro-
duction of books and papers has been
established by the judgment of the
| Supreme Court in suit against the
coal-carrying roads.
Other suits have been brought and
/ other indictments have been found
and other trusts have been driven
back within legal bounds.
No investment in lawful business
has been jeopardized no fair and hon
est enterprise has been injured: but
| IL is certain that wherever the consti-
| tutional power OF the national govern
ment reaches. trusts are being prac-
tically regulated and curbed within
lawful bounds as they never have
been before. and the men OF small
capital are finding in the efficiency
and skill OF the national Department
of Justice a protection they never
had before against the crushing effect
of unlawful combinations.
We have at last reached a point
where the public wealth OF farm land,
which has seemd so inexhaustible, Is
nearly gone and the problem of util-
izing the remainder for the building OF
new homes has become of vital inn
| portance.
The present administration has
dealt with this problem vigorously
and effectively Great areas had been
unlawfully fenced in by men OF large
means. and the home-builders had
been excluded. Many OF these un-
lawful aggressors have been compelled
TO reinquish their booty, and more
than 100000 acres of land have been
restored to the public.
The reclamation by irrigation OF the
vast arid regions forming the chief
part OF our remaining public domain
has been provided for by the national
reclamation law.
The Department of Agriculture has
been brought To a point OF efficiency
and practical benefit never before
known.
When the last national convention
met the Philippines were under mill
tary rule. The last vestige OF insur-
rection has been swept away.
In 1900 the project OF an Isthmian
Canal stood where It was left by the
Clayton Bulwer treaty OF 1850. On the
18th OF November, 1901. the Hay
Pauncefote treaty with Great Britain
relieved the enterprise OF the right OF
British control and left that right ex-
clusively in the United States.
Then followed swiftly the negotia-
tons with Nicaragua; the Isthmian
Canal act OF June 2S, 1902; the just
agreement with the French Canal
Company to pay them the value OF
the work they had done; the negotia-
ton and ratification OF the treaty
with Columbia the rejection OF that
treaty by Colombia I'm violation OF our
rights and the worlds right TO the
passage of the isthmus; the seizure
by Panama of the opportunity TO re-
new her oft-repeated effort 10 throw
off the hateful and oppressive yoke OF
Colombia and resume the independ-
ence which once had been hers. and OF
which she had been deprived by fraud
and force: the success OF the revolu-
ton; our recognition OF the new re-
public followed by recognition from
substantially all the civilized powers
OF the world; the treaty with Panama
recognizing and confirming our right
to construct the canal; the ratification
OF the treaty by Congress; the pay
ment OF s50,000.0 900 to the French
Company and 10 Panama; the appoint
ment OF the Canal Commission in ac-
cordance with law. and its organiza-
ton TO begin the work.
Following the speech of the tempo
rary chairman the standing commit
tees Of the convention were annoinfed