Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-10-13
WHY ROOSEVELT MADE A BUREAU
7 OF CORPORATIONS.
George B COrtelyou Tapping Corpora.
lions For Campaign Funds a i.
Grave Question.

| LOT uDHclly III lUt lIleEtStS OF lle
| public" You seemed determined to
vindlcate the peoples right to Inspect
| and examine the workings Of the great
corporations engaged in interstate com
merce," even If it 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-
! stitutlonal. You demanded this Pub
liclty "as right from all corporations
| affected by the law" and mot as Il IA
| VOr from some corporations"
Your persistence in good cause
| finally triumphed Congress, under the
! pressure Of the public opinion that you
| had so skilfully directed. enacted the
| legislation you asked f)r. 1t created
a Department Of Commerce, with Bu-
rcau Of Corporations. 1t 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. 1t gave you the
extraordinary, the unprecedented APP
preparation Of S50O,000 to enforce stat
utes prohibiting combinations and con
spraCles in restraint of trade.
The first thing to do, as you said in
your speech Mt Wheeling, was to 'find
out the facts" Your initial step was
to appoint Gs your Secretary of Com
merce your private secretary, George
Il. CortelyOu. The Bureau Of Corpora
tons was organized February 2G, 1905
more than nineteen months, more
than eighty wceks-eXactly 5S3 days
ngo-yes, exactly Five Hundred and
Eighty three Days ago.
VIII you kindly tell the country:
/. After these 5S3 days of supposed
activity and official duty, how much
more does the public know about the
conduct and management of these
great corporations than 1t knew be
fore?
.. After these 1888 days of supposed
activity and official duty, what single
witness has been subpOenacd?
3. After these 5S3 days of supposed
activity ana official duty, what single
witness has been compelled to testify?
!. After these 5S3 days of supposed
activity and official duty. what docu-
mcntary evidence has been produced?
:. After these 5S3 days of supposed
activity and official duty, what corpor-
alton maguatc has been compelled to
testify under oath rs to secret rebates
on freight charges or other acts of con
spiracy In restraint of trade?
q. After these 5S3 days of supposed
activity aud official duty, what does
the public know about the work Of this
bureau OF publicity?
Is there n corporation In the United
States. Mr.. President. whose affairs are
administered In greater secrecy than
arc the affairs of your Bureau of Cor
porationS, which was created to afford
"PubliCity in the interest of the pub
lic?"
Does tho public know any less about
the internal workings of the Standard
OIL Company. for example than ii does
about the internal workings of this
Bureau of Corporations?
Yet In your letter of acceptance you
have may call II the magnificent au-
dAcity to declare of the act creating
this bureau and of the related acts:
The Congress that created the But
reau of Corporations, which, you say,
has been administered with entire
efficiency" gave you the UNIQUE the
extraordinary appropriation of S1Oo.
GOO to enforce existing laws AGAINST
corporations.
What Is your record in the CNnendi-
ture Of this money? About 100000 of
It has been spent for the purpose to
which II was appropriated. The rest
has been lying idle in the Treasury for
5S3 days.
10 YOU mean to say that You arc in
possession OF all the data" as Ia the
"orga niZation. 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 ufor
nation. or so much thereof aS ynu have
required. has been made public" as
the law says II "shall he?" II was to
insure such publicity that You asked
for this legislation
ON the contrary, Mr.. President, is II
not true that not one word, not one syl-
liable, not one letter has ever appeared
Of that proper publicity about which
you talk SO glibly?
But when your Presidential cam
paign began and Mr. Cortc}you 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 why? Was Mr.. Cortcyou
member of the National Committees
30. Was he a member Of any commit
tee. State or local? No. Had lie any
reputation or experience rs a campaign
manager? No. Did the veteran politi-
clans Of Your party desire his appoint
mcut? No Was there could there be
amy reason for his appointment ex-
ccpt that he knows from "dilgent in
vcSdgntiou" the business secrets OF
these great corporations upon which
you depend for your campaign fund?
You will pardon n delicate question,
Mr.. President. but when the most in
telllgent MIR, Cortelyou goes out to col
lect money for Your campaign fund. af-
ter spending the night in your hospit.
able home, il 1t conceivable that these