The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-06
THE TRUSTS HAVE
PAID THE PRICE
And Roosevelt Does Not Deny That the Contrbu-
tons Have Been Pouring into the Republican
Treasury Says Parker

swer these questions. Why do cor
porations and trusts subscribe to po-
litical campaigns"
What would a trust think of q par
ty which, after accepting from the
trust campaign contribution Of
s5p0,000, should permit the party's
representative in Office to take action
inimical to the trust?
Would the public interests be safe
in the hands of party the greater
part of whose campaign funds had
beer contributed BY corporations and
trusts?
IF the public welfare and the in
terests of subscribing corporations or
trust should conflict, which would
likely be protected
THE scheme of our government OPP
poses faVoritiSm, but in its Admins
tration there has been much of it.
indeed, it has been growing with such
rapidity in recent years that these few
that have enjoyed f2vors, contributed
either directly by statute or indirectly
by the non-proSecut.o of violations
of law, represent, control and are pos
sessed of many hundreds of millions
ci dollars. These interests have de-
cided to attempt to continue the pres
ent administration in power. Their
representatives scolded about the Pres
ident for some months and thus col-
triluted their part towards the effort
which Was GsSduously made to satisfy
the country that the trusts We're OPP
POSED to the present administration.
Whether there were real difficu ties
between these great powers and the
administration, difficulties which have
since been settled TO the satisfaction
of all parties concerned, or whether
there We're no difficulties to be COM
promised and adjusted, their action be-
stRs htrt Iu.s fs, a 10 ut al
the fact rcmains that the trusts are
not now opposed 10 the cont inuance
of the present administration. On
the contrary, ii is common knowledge
that they have determined to iuriiiSh
! a sum of money to the Republican
National committee as it is hoped
would secure the 'floaters in the
ticket. Such an attempt constitutes
| both a menace and challenge to
every patriotic and law-abiding person
| in this country a challenge which
ought to be accepted. The question
ought to be settled now whether the
| 'fioaters' and Illegal combinations can
| together control an election in this
country. Such contest means on one
4 side vast sums of money and every
| man with an itching. 1t hit t" ar
ray every honest independent and
patriotic citizen on the other side"
L on nave ledTIlSu from It's TeduluS
| that the purpose of that address was
to warn the people against the corrup-
| ton of the electorate by tariff-bred
/ trusts and other monopolieS. 1t con-
| tanned no criticism of the President.
| 1t simply called attention to a notori-
| Gus and offensive situation-a situi,-
| ton which presented to my mind the
greatest of the moral issues of the
/ campaign, yes, of many campaigns. Il
! he had said. on the day after the de-
| livery of my address. after the con-
sultation about it which he and Sena-
| tor Knox had: Yes. | never thought
/ of it before. but Parker is right Why
would a trust take money out of it's
treasury none belonging to its
children as we'll as men of both par
/ ties. unless it's purpose is to get some
| thing in return, something which It's
officers regard as more than an equiv
alent for the moneys taken out OF the
| treasury. Now. he is right. and | am
! goinp to stop it. Perhaps the nationai
committee cannot pay back the mon
eys contributed this way. that they
have already expended but there shall
| be no more such contributions. We
~'ill join Parker in an effort to pro-
tect the ballot of the honest citizen
from being overridden by merchandise
| ballots.
sounded like the Roosevelt we once
knew And if he had followed it by
acts in execution of his words it
would have been of far less conse-
quence to the neople which one of us
sh lid be elected than it is now. But
! EYES TO WHAT WAS GOING ON.
and since that time there has been the
| frequent meeting OF the trusts mag
| rates, and the moneys have been
pouring into the treasury all the more
freely end all the more plentifully.
because of the attitude taken by me.
and which, it is true. l have enforced
from day to day.
The President does not deny these
! contributions now. This is what he
says: That contributions have been
made to the Republican committee as
contributions have been made ID the
! Democratic committee. is not he
| question al issue Mr.. Parker's AS
se1tion is in effect that such contribu-
| tons have been made for improper
mCtivcs either in consequence of the
act o. in consequence of improper
promises. direct or indirect, Oh the
| part of the recipients
THAT is the only paragraph in
President Roosevclt's statement which
touches either directly Of indirectly
on the question as to whether the
trusts have made contributions to the
Republican campaign fund It is al
most in terms ar admission that the
trusts have contributed TO the Repuh>
iican fund. In coupling the Demo-
cratic campaign fund with the Repub-
lican campaign fund. the President at
tempted to SO associate the two that
denial of his assertion could not be
made without duplicating the Demo-
cratic committee. He is in q position
to know what contributions have been
u Pnrn,1hIinn,, I'd ,.l1