Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-26
KNOX ANSWERS PARKER
THE ADMINISTRATION ATTI.
tube TOWARD THE TRUSTS.
Change of Front by the Demo
cratic Leaders-Contribut
of Corporations.

Senator P. C. Knox, who was until recent
ly Attorney General under President Roose-
welt, last night issued a statement in answer
to Mr.. Parker's speech on trusts and eX-
President Cleveand's remarks on the same
topic. He said:
In the early part of this campaign Judge
Parker stated: The common law as devel
oped affords a complete legal remedy
against monopolies, and ex-President Cleve-
land, In commenting upon the decision in
the Northern Securities case, said: There
is distinct difference drawn between rail-
roads and purely producing corporations 1t
could not be said that the sugar trust or
the beef trust or the Standard Oil Company
was directly engaged in interstate trans
portation. They We're engaged in the manu-
facture and sale of products
within the past few days Mr.. Cleve-
land in public speech criticised the repub-
amuck' in the business interests of the
country, which so eminent philologist as
he knows means that he criticises the Pres
ident for not dashing wildly at everything
in sight and destroying the guilty and inno-
cent alike. while Judge Parker only yester-
day bewails the fact that corporations are
permitted to violate the law and that they
are contributing to the republican cause
What can be the reason for this change
of front? Mr.. Cleveland, on March II, 1904,
Notwithstanding the decree of the circuit
vi.
says it was not within the promotion of
the law, thus throwing the weight of his
opinion in favor OF the beef trust and
against the United States at a time when
the case was pending and undecided in the
highest court, while on October 81 1904 he
theoretically demanded that all corporated
business should be wantonly assailed.
us there any connection between Judge
Parker's abandonment of his futile common
law panacea, which meant immunity to the
trusts, and the fact as he alleges. that the
,,e,<, - Int 70 H.
publican party?p Do the principles of law
which Mr.. Cleveland thought last March
protected manufacturing monopolies change
In Oetober,sand $50. does the change affect
the Belmont trusts or only those which are
suspected Of seeing In the Fermentation of
republican 1admihistration the p'' Continued tin.
general prosperity of the country?
Change in Political Methods.
Judge Parker, in his speech on Monday.
also said:
MANY years have passed since my ac-
tive participation in politics. In the mean
time startling Change has taken place In
the method Of conducting campaigns: a
change not for the better, but for the
worse enange that has introduced de-
basing and corrupt methods which threaten
the integrity 6f our government
ut Is astounding that Judge Parker
should be willing to challenge the compari-
son which this statement Inevitably calls
out When Judge Parker last actively mar
ticipated in politics off the bench he was
chairman Of the New York state democratic
committee which elected David B. Hill as
governor He was cog in the fIilI ma
chine. There never have been in our polit-
icai history methods more debasing and
New York and they culmiuated 4, the steal
of the state by the Maynard frauds and the
overthrow Of the Hill machine In conse-
quences This was the machine which Mr.
it. he was made a Judge by Hili: ana these
are the methods he deploAss.
Contentious by Corporations.
"Again. Judge Parker speaks NJ tho cam.
paign contributions by great Corporations.
He states that some OF the enterprises
which have unduly thriyed through fayorft-
ism have become SO rich and str8ng that
they can and do contribute vast sums whom