New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-10-29
WORDS AVID DEEDS.

In his speech at Carnegie Hall last Friday ex-
President Cleveland inc Ised in some curiously
ostrichlke comment on the Northern Securities
case. Certainly he paid the intelligence Of his
auditors a shabby compliment in asking them
70 take as serious his structures on the present
administration for laxity IN applying the pro-
visions Of the Sherman Antitrust act With
the memory Of the second Cleveland admins
tration's supine disregard Of that statute fresh
in the public mind, the ex-President's de-
probation of the Northern Securities victory
savors unpleasanuy of a solicitude on the pots
part to prove the kettle black. Said Mr.. Cleve-
land:
A party may indulge IN self-congratulation
VIXEN IL has effectively defended the people in
their daily life from the rapacity OF trusts and
nominations, which thrive as private enter
prise Is strangled and which grow fat as by
their control Of the cost OF living. they cause
the homes Of our LAND TO grow lean; but the
people viii hardly approve Of the Vociferous
pride which claims that successful attack upon
the merger Of the stock Of certain competing
ors.
So unworthy an attempt to beIittle the legal
and political importance of the Northern Securi-
ries decision would come with bad grace even
from an impatient radical agitator who baked
ut al delays and wanted to take a short cut to
government ownership Of railroads and other
public utilities. But from an ex-President who
held when in Office that the Sherman thrust
law a desG letter and that his adminisra-
ton was impotent TO do what has been so cour-
ageonsly and brilliantly done by a succeeding
administration it is, if not ungenerous at least
ridiculous. Is Mr. Cleveland unwilling to admit
that in accomplishing what he and AIr. Olney
believed 70 be impossible a Republican admin
istration has made some definite and creditabIe
progress toward asserting federal control over
combinations seeking to restrain and impair
the freedom OF interstate commerce? Because
he failed to find way 10 enforce the Anti Trust
law. must he deny due credit for finding it to
Attorney General Knox and President Roose-
velt2
AlF. Cleveland seems TO censure the present
administration for not doing more than II has
done to suppress Illegal trusts and combina-
lions but what did he himself do IN his last
four years IN Officer Here Is a summary ~ Mr.
Cleveland's record from The New-York VorId.'
"a friendly Democratic newspaper Of the first
rank:
The IAnc-Trustl law remained deaA ,.,,sr
on the statute books during the entire second
term Of Grover Cleveland. a Democratic Presi-
-, LIlIough t.ese tour years OF Democratic
administration al appeals and ali Efforts Of
The World" to have the law enforced we're
met with SINGERS. jeers and open contempt from
Z LeinoeTatle Attorney General. Richard Olney.
VINO pretended that the law was unconstitu-
tioraJ and who would co nothing iowa "a nroee
cutting violatoTs of it.
What has By. Cleveland himself had 10 say
IN defence Of this policy Of mastery lnactiv,tv9
In an interview IN The Philadelphia Press,
last March be made this strange apology:
The question OF the government, taking t.o,l
ACTION against the so-ca!led trusts was etyeD
much consideration during my last edr9tnts
tFation. 1 recall that I examined closeiv the
laws ana received reports from. Mr. Olnev "a "a
what could be done. was most anxious 90
nave something done, but we we're blocked by
oeclsions OF the supreme Court which at that
time tied our hands. - 1"'
What convincing ezOneEationl Yet come.