Courier Democrat., 1904-11-03
TANNING CORPORATIONS
How President Roosevelt Has
Subdued the Trusts.
GRAvEsT MENACE TO TIE NATION

Lies Not In the Fleets and Armies of
the Old World. but In the Monopo-
lies at Home-How the Chief Ex-
ecutive Safeguard. the Republic.
Joseph Pulitzer. cs.itor OF the New
York World i. his latest open letter
to the president says il part:
You have ta,led AMI siblue,. the
great corporations. Mr.. President. Not
less successfully than you tanned and
subduei the bosses OF your party. How
did you do it: BY administering these
laws with entire efficiency. Us you
cay: BY the consistent and steadily
continued action of the department OF
justice as you say:
"How did you tame and subdue the
bosses of your party. Mr.. President
the Platts and the Quays and the Han
mas and the !Aldriches and tie Ad-
dickses and the Odells and the Lou
Payns: II was by surrendering TO
them. was it not: How did You tame
and subdue the Morgans. the Goulds.
the Rockefellers. the Nanderblts. the
Sri!lmans. the Harrimans. the MooreS.
the Fricks. the Cassatts and the other
rulers of the great corporations: BY
surrendering to them:
''If you, Mr.. President, could justly
denounce the old spoils system as be-
ing for seventy years the most potent
Of all the forces tending to bring about
the degradation Of our politics. what
must be your opinion. in your own
words, Of the new spoils system which
you have perfected: OF the spoils sys-
TEN by which trained and we'll inform
ed agents. initiated into the secrets Of
the corporations. squeeze money from
the rich holders Of privilege with
which to carry the elections: OF the
system under which an administration
can collect stupendous campaign
fund by tie traffic in actual or pro-
spective immunity from prosecution or
publicity:
You, Mr. President. cannot be iG-
norant Of the sinister parallel between
the old slave power and the new cor
poration power in their relations with
the federal government. If asked to
testify as historian could you assert
that your administration is now domi-
mated less by the corporation power
than were the administrations Of Polk,
Pierce and Buchanan by the slave
power?
"You, Mr.. President. have furnished
the most conspicuous illustration of the
danger to the republic so forcefully de-
scribed by Justice Brewer. You are
the most striking example of the poll
tician who understands that that pow
er exists which may make for his ad-
vancemenr OF otherwise and that it
will be exerted according to the pill
ancy With which lie yields to its solici-
tations.
"It is we'll enough to shake the big
stick over the South American repub-
lies. South American republics do not
contribute to the campaign fund.
But how about the great corpora
tons which do contribute to the cam
paign fund: There is no big stick for
them. no marines. no warships-noth-
ing but secrecy. silence. solicitation.
surrender.
Safeguarding the republic from its
foreign enemies is your favorite thesis,
Mr.. President. Yet you we'll know
that the gravest menace to the nation
lies not in Europe or in Asia or in
South America. 1t is domestic, not
foreign.
You we'll know that there are de-
veloping throughout the United States
two governments - one theoretical
government OF the people. by the peo-
pie. for the people; the other a prac-
teal government OF the corporations.
by corporations. for corporations.
you know that this government
within a government sends its crea-
lures to every common council. to
every legislature. to the United States
senate and the house of representa-
tives-yes. even to the cabinet of the
president Of the United States.
You know that these corporations
which are determined to govern the
government itself are the real enemies
Of the republic. If you do not know it
now you knew it before you decided
SA0l SOO "Oolo 1dluS1 S1CS4dC0I
than be right. You knew it before you
allowed your ambition to transform
your bureau Of publicity into bureau
Of secrecy. You knew it before you
perceived the tremendous political ad-
vantages you could gain by submission
to the power OF plutocracy. You knew
1t before you began to understand how
strongly secret alliances with the cor
porauons would make for your politi-
cal advancement.
you have not kept the faith, Mr..
President, in your promise Of publicity
in the interests of the public as to the
Affairs of the corporations. Your rec
ord in your own words proves it.
"Why have you turned your back on
your splendid promises: Why have
you eaten your fine words: Perhaps a
little Of the publicity which has not
been made public would explain even
that TOO.
''And if you. Theodore Roosevelt,
aho11 rofoip tho y,pocidopop ~ tho Isof<