The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1904-10-28
PULITZER'S CHARGES
WY ROOSEVELT EEBE A BUREAU
OF CORPORATIONS.
George B, CsFtslyoa TaPPiag UefPsfa-
tioHs For csmaaign Fzass 3
6raTs Qnsstish


crusade for the regulation Of the great
corporations with an insIsteBt appeal
for Publicity IN the interests Of the
public" You seemed determined 10
vindicate the peoples right 70 inspect
and examine the workings OF the great
corporations engaged IN interstate COM
meree." even If IL were necessary TO
amend the Constitution Of the United
States, believing. with many corpora
ton lawyers Of your own party-and
Of the Democratic party for that mat
ter-that the Sherman law was uncOn-
stitutiOnal- You demanded this Pub
Lefty "as a right from all corporations
affected by the law" and mot as Ia
vOr from some corporation"
Your persistence in a good cause
finally triumphed. Congress. under the
pressure Of the public opinion that you
had so skilfully directed, enacted the
legislation you asked for. It created
a Department Of Commerce, with a Ru-
reau Of Corporations. It extended the
scope Of the Interstate Commerce law
to forbid the giving or receiving Of re-
bates. 1t passed an act providing for
the special advancement in the United
States courts Of cases arising under
the antitrust laws. It gave you the
extraordinary. the unprecedented ap-
preparation Of S5OO.OO0 TO enforce stat
utes prohibiting combinations and con-
spiracies in restraint Of trade.
The FIRST thing TO do, as you said in
your speech at Wheeling. was to end
out the facts Your initial step was
to appoint as your Secretary OF Com
merce your private secretary, George
B. COrteIyOu. The Bureau OF Corpora
tons was organized February %, 1905
more than nineteen months. more
than eighty weeks-e1actly 5S3 days
agO-yes. exactly Five Hundred and
Eighty Days ago.
VIII you kindly tell the country:
l. After these 5S3 days CT supposed
activity and official duty. how much
more does the public know about the
conduct and management OF these
great corporations than It knew be-
fore?
2 After these $50 days Of supposed
activity and Official duty. what single
witness has been subpoenaed?
3. After these 5S3 days Of supposed
activity and official duty, what single
witness has been compelled 10 testify2
4 After these 5S9 days Of supposed
activity and official duty. what dOcu-
mentary evidence has been produced?
3 After these $50 days OF supposed
activity and official duty, what eOrDOr-
alton magnate has been compelled to
testify under oath rs to secret rebates
on freight charges or other acts Of con-
spiracy in restraint OF trade2
g. After these 5SS days Of supposed
activity and official duty. what does
the public know about the work Of this
bureau Of publicity?
Af0r N
States. Mr.. President. whose affairs are
administered in greater secrecy than
are the affairs of your Bureau Of Cor
DOra tons. which was created to afford
Publicity in the interest Of the pub
Ucg''
Does the public know anY less about
the internal workings Of the Standard
Oil COMPANY. for example than it does
about the internal workings Of this
Bureau Of Corporations?
Yet in your letter Of acceptance you
have-may I call it the magnificent au-
dacity ?-tO declare Of tae act creating
this bureau and Of the related acts:
The Congress that created the BTI-
Teau of Corporations. which YOU say.
has been administered with entire
efficiency" gave yOu the unique. the
extraordinary approximation OF $780,
600 to enforce existing laws against
CORPORATIONS.
What Is yO,r record in the e1Dendi-
ture OF this money? About $4,000 Of
it has been spent for the purpose to
which it was appropriated 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 10 the
rganizatiOn. conduct and manage
ment'' of the business Of these corpora
tons? 1t was to collect such data that
the bureau was created.
Do yOu mean to say that this infoF-
nation. OF 50 much thereof as you have
required, has been made public" as
{ the law saws it '1shall beEs IT was to
insure such publicity that You asked
/ for this legislation.
On the contrary, NJ President. is i
not true that not one word. not one syl-
I liable. not one letter has ever appeared
OF that proper publicity about which
| you talk 50 glibly2
But when your Presidential cam
! paign began and Ar. Corteiyou had
/ learned al 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 Whys Was Mr. CoFteIyou 4
member OF the National CommftteeT
I No Was he member OF any commit
tee. State OF lOcal2 No Had he any
| reputation OF experience as q campaign
I manager? No. Did the veteran pOliti-
/ clans OF your party desire his appoint
ment? No. Was theT-cOuld there be
any reason for his appointment eL-
/ eeDt that he knows from --dihgent in
I vestigatiOn" the business secrets OF
I these great corporations upon which
I you depend for your campaign fund3
You WI pardon a delicate question,
/ Mr. President. but when the most in
/ teIIigent Mr. COrtelyOu goes out to col
/ Iect money for your campaign fund AZ
/ ter spending the night in your hospft-
able home. is II conceivable that these
/ corporations DO not assume that he rep