The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-23
ROOSEVELT'S PLAN.
His Method of Handling the Trusts
Clearly Set Forth in a Speech.

Washington, June 23.-The Roose-
velt party reached Washington at 2:O5
o'clock this morning over the Pennsyl-
vania on the return from their New
England trip. The presidents car
riage was in waiting The president
had not retired and he was driven di-
rectly to the White House.
In his speech at Williams college
yesterday the. president said: An
other question OF which 1 wish to
speak is that of a closer supervision by
the government of great industrial
combination. 1 think that it has been
a great mistake to act on the theory
which has shaped most of our legisla-
ton, national and state, for the last 30
years, that it is possible to turn back
the hands of the clock to forbid com
bination and to restore business ac-
cording to and under conditions which
have absolutely passed away. That
can not be done. What we can have
done is to put an efficient supervision
over the owner of the combination
do not believe that such supervision
can come effectively through the state,
nor that it can effectively come
through the municipality, but ulu-
mately in the great majority of cases,
to be effective it must be exercised by
the national government. AS the first
step to that I hope to see the passage
of legislation which will give, as an
executive. not as a judicial, function to
the national government the super
VISION Oh the railways DL me HEAAALEtl
States which are engaged in inter-
state commerce with the power when
q rate is complained of as improper
and unjust to examine that rate, and
if they think the rate should be
changed to change it to a, given rate,
and to have that given rate take prac-
ticalIy immediate effect. 1t can only
come if the officers entrusted with the
administration of the law remember
that it is exactly as much their duty
to protect the railroad from the pub
lie as to protect the public from the
railroad.
Il am going to illustrate what I mean
by some work now being done in the
department OF justice and in the bureau
of corporation at the head of which
stands your fellow alumnus, James R.
Garfield. Resolutions have been pass
ed by very important bodies demand
ing the investigation of what is called
the beef trust and of the Standard Oil
company. The beef trust had to be
investigated partly by the department
of Justice acting through the district
attorney of Chicago. The commissioner
of corporations was to report upon the
facts of the case and the district at
torney was to act on the legal evidence
he could obtain If the district attOr-
ney can collect legal evidence which
will show that there had been Wilful
and international violation Of the law
by any man, no matter how high he
stands socially and financially he viii
be indicted and if possible convicted.
If he does not secure such legal evil
dence no amount of popular feeling is
to be allowed to be substituted for le-
gal evidence. So in investigating the
beef trust and the Standard Oil COM
pany I have been content to leave it
absolutely in the hands of Mr.. Gar
field, because have known that he
/ was as incapable of being Swayed by
popular demand on the one hand as by
any sympathy on the other. The same
spirit must be shown in applying the
laws dealing with all corporations If,
as I hope. we get the scope of those
! laws sufficiently enlarged"