Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-08-07

Pretense VS.. Performances.
In 1904, Judge Parker said in his let
ter of acceptance, substantially, that we
had enough law to stop every corporate
abuse. The common law was available
for the use of the State authorities,
and besides that there were plenty of
State statutes and plenty of Federal
statutes. The Sherman antitrust law,
and the Interstate Commerce law had
been on the statute books for many
years. But the President lis cabinet
officers, and all the Republican spell
binders loudly called for new laws to
enable the government to curb the cor
porations.
The coal trust, the oil trust, the beef
trust, and the railroads had been vio-
lating existing laws with the regularity
and audacity that is born of COLLISION
with the officers of the law. They were
not at all hostile TO Mr.. Roosevelt or
his administration. They furnished
money to secure his reelection. They
evidently preferred the making of new
laws, dictated by themselves, to the en-
forcement of the old laws made to pun
ish their crimes and check their rapac-
ity.
All that has been done towards pros
ccuting the trusts has been done under
those old laws. Some of the Western
States forced the Attorney General to
prosecute the Northern Securities Com
pany under the antitrust and Inter
state Commerce laws And according
to Secretary Taft that prosecution is
the chief glory of the Roosevelt admin
istration, and it is practically the only
act of the administration which reflects
any credit upon it, The recent action
of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion against the oil trust and the rail
roads, was due to the Tillman-Gillespie
resolution, which Roosevelt signed with
express reluctance" That resolution
merely authorized the commission TO in
stitute investigations looking to the en-
forcement Of the old laws; and it was
necessary only because the administra-
ton had not enforced those laws except
when compelled to do so by reason of
exposures made by the State authorities
or by other instrumentalities outside
the Department of Justice.
1t is known that the railroads and
the oil and coal trusts had been vio-
lating the law. The letters of Gov
Dawson of West Virginia. and certain
independent coal operators, read in the
Senate by Mr.. Tillman, proved that the
Department of Justice could not be de-
pended upon to investigate conditions
and enforce existing laws. Why did the
President wait until Gov. Dawson had
BEEN forced to appeal to a Democratic
Senator for help against the railroad
and coal combine before he made his
feint of attacking the oil trust? Rookie
Teller very properly says of this new
spasm of virtue: Business methods
have nothing to do with it. 1t is all
politics." So far as Roosevelt is con-
cerned, it is certainly nothing but poll
ties.
II the law had been enforced thera
WOulu nave DeelI lO Dtel SCduudl uP
railroad scandals, no coal or oil scam
dalS, no grain inspection scandals. Tho
very existence of these scandals, aris-
ing as they do from !ong-standing vit-
lations Of the old laws referred to ~
Judge Parker in 1904 proves that the
administration has been either inefti-
cient. or else particeps crlminis, in all
this scandalous business, and that tie
pretense of righteous indignation is call
politics"
Mr.. Taft Numbered, therefore, When
he said at Greensboro, on July 9th, thar
the President "by act" as well as by
word. had manifested to the people
his determination to pursue the middle.
lust, and impartial course by which the
rich and the poor should enjoy the
equal protection, and suffer the equal
and Just enforcement Of the laws"
This is "all politics" The record proves
the contrary to be the truth. Judge
Parker has shown the contrary to be the
fact by citing the record in all cases
where there have been prosecutions, all
of which have been under the old laws.