The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1904-10-15
PULTTzER'S CHARGES.
VIII ROOSEVELT MADE A BUREAU
OF CORPORATIONS
George B COrtslyOu Tapping Corpora
tons For Cam-aign Fanis q
Grave Question.

Duhiic0 You seemed determined 10
vindicate the peoples right 70 'inspact
and examine the workings Of thn great
corporations engaged IN interstate COM
merce." even II ~ were necessary to
amend the Constitution Of the United
States, believing. with many corpora
ton lawyers Of your own party-and
OF the Democratic marty. for that mat
ter-that the Sherman law WAS uncon-
stitutional. Ynu demanded this Pub
licity cas- a right from all CORPORATIONS
affected by the law" and mot as Ia
vor from some corDorations."
Your persistence In a good cause
finally triumphed. Congress. under the
pressure Of the Duhllc opinion that Won
had so skilfully directed. enacted the
legislation you asked for. 1t created
a Department OF Commerce. with a Ru-
reau Of Corporations. II extended the
scoue Of the Interstate Commerce law
to forbid the giving or receiving OF re-
bates. II passed an act providing for
the special advancement In the United
States courts Of cases arising under
the antitrust laws. II gave Won the
extraordinary. the unprpcedanted ap-
propriation Of $500. ON to enforce stat
uItH anu NOh-
spiracies In restraint Of trade.
Sss sSs
The first thing 70 do. as you said IN
your speech at Wheeling. was to "fnd
out the facts" Your initial stem was
to appoint as your Secretary OF Com
merce your private secretary. George
b. CorteIyou. The Bureau OF Corpora
lions was organized February &c. 1903
more than pineteen months. more
than eighty weekS-exactly hS3 days
ago-yes. exactly Five Hundred and
Eightv-three Days ago.
Will you kindly tell the country:
1. After these 5S3 DAYS Of supposed
activity and Official duty. how much
more does the public know about the
conduct and MANAGEMENT OF these
great corporations than 1t knew be-
fore?
2. After these 5s3 DAYS OF supposed
activity and official duty. what single
witness has been snhpoenaed?
s. After these 5s2 days Of supposed
activity and official duty. what single
witness has been compelled TO testify?
4. After these 5S3 davs Of supposed
activity and official duty. what docu-
mentarv evidence has been produced?
5. After these 5S3 days OF sunposed
activity and official duty. what cornor-
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?
g. After these hS2 DAYS Of supposed
activity and OFFICIAL duty. what does
the public know shout the work Of this
bureau Of publicity?
Is there q corporation IN the Tinted
States Mr.. President. whose affairs are
administered in greater secrecy than
are the affairs II your Bureau OF Cor
porations. which was created to AFFORD
Publicity in the interest OF the pub
lIc?"
Does the public know anv less ahout
the internal workings Of the Standard
OIL Comnanv. for examDle than II does
about the internal workings Of this
Bureau OF Cornorations?
Yet in your letter Of acceptance you
have-may I call Il the magnificent au-
dacity Ito declare NJ t-a act creating
this bureau and OF the related acts:
The Congress that created the Bu-
reau Of Corporations. which Won say.
has been administered with entire
efficiencv." gave you the unique. the
extraordinary approximation Of S5n0.-
000 to enforce existing laws against
corporations.
What f. your record In the exnendi-
ture Of this money? About $3.50 6f
It has been spent for the purpose to
which II WAS apuropriated. The rest
has been lying idle in the Treasury for
$50 days.
Do you mean to say that you are IN
possession of all the data" as TO the
Organization. conduct and manage
ment" of the business Of these corpora
lions? 1t was TO collect such data that
the bureau was created.
Do you mean tn say that this infor-
nation, or so much thereof as Won have
required. has been "made public" as
the law says It "shall beT It was to
insure such publicity that you asked
for this legislation.
On the contrary. Mr.. President. n Il
not true that not one word. not one syl-
liable. not one letter has ever appeared
Of that proper publicity about which
you talk 30 glibly7
buI "ucu lOuT ETtflutuNidl CdIU-
paign began and Mr.. Cortelyou 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 why7 Was Mr.. Cortelyou a
member of the National Committee?
No. Was he a member OF any commit
tee. State or local? No. Had he any
reputation or experience as a 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 win pardon a delicate question.
Mr.. President, but when the most in
telligent Mr.. Cortelyou goes out to col
lect money for your campaign fund. az
ter spending the night in your hospit-
able home, is It conceivable that these
corporations do not assume that he rep
resents in a peculiarly personal man.
ner the President OF the United Statesl