The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-07-11

his election in 1904 land yet in that
short part of his term of office the
republican party in congress of the
United States, inspired by RI. Roose-
velt's recommendations. has adopted a
railroad rate bill, which greatly in
creased the power of the interstate
commerce commission and which. taxi
en- together with previous Legislation
before his election. will certainly have
much to do in the abolition Of viola
tions. of unjust determinations and
| abuse"
"The investigation by the department
of commerce and labor" said Mr.. Taft,
have shown the method by which the
! Standard Oil company has maintained
its monopoly of the oil business and
prosecutions have been ordered in
many of the federal courts of the
country in order not to vindicate the
law for past violations, but to bring
/ about a condition of things in which
the managers of prosperous and sue
cessful corporations of the country
shall pay heed to injunctions of the
statutes and not allow temptations Of
immense profits, to blind them to the
necessity for obedience to law"
The secretary said that the organ
ization of capital has reduced the cost
of production and has therefore con-
tributed to the material prosperity Of
the world and that the organization
of labor had undoubtedly bettered the
condition and raised the wages of la
Dor, but he said 1t would be unreason-
able to suppose that in the power
til, l..
hands of individuals there would be
no temptations to oppression and aubse
but when these are yielded to by the
few as compared with the many it is
no reason for hysteria or the destruc-
ton of the whole social order.
TT Is no reason for giving up the
system of personal property or for
bidding the formation Of corporations
or preventing the organizing of trades
unions. 1t is no ground for the advo-
cacy of socialism" said the secretary,
adding, 1--WE must take up the abuses
in the good old Anglo Saxon way. ad-
just every statutory remedy to the fit
ness Of things, place our confidence in
the public servants who show them
selves alive to public needs and cour-
cute the offenders to conviction"
The people, he said, are in favor of
protecting the rights Of corporations,
or labor organizations, as represent
ing only a number of people united
together for a common and lawful OBJ
ject exactly as they would protect the
rights of an Individual, and are in IA
vor of protecting the individual against
organization.
1.-The republican party and President
Roosevelt" declared Mr.. Taft, "are in
favor of the just and equal operation
of the law, whether it be by civil suit,
by the process of injunction or equity,
or by indictment at the bar of the
criminal court against the man who
violates another's right, whether he be
rich or poor. a corporation president or
wage Garner. They are against i'm
munity from prosecution for viola
ton of law either on the ground that
man has money or industrial or poll
teal power. or on the ground that he
has neither"
He said the record of the republican
party shows that the only substantial
steps (which have really been taken to
stop the abuses and oppression at
tempted by the irresponsible holders
of great wealth and corporate power
have been by the republican party, and
there is no more brilliant or success
full exponent of this policy than Theo-
dore Roosevelt. His declaration made
before the election are being enforced
and being put into practice after the
election. They said the democratic
leaders are now indignant that the re-
publican party is carrying out the pro-
misses of it's platform, in putting to
practice the principles which they
claim are really covered by a demo-
cratic patent"
He declared that the democratic
leaders have for years been declaring
against corporations, but have insti-
tuted no Legislative steps in all this
time to restrain the abuses. He said:
II ask you to compare democratic
progress with republican perform
ances. Incidentally, ponder how much
would have been done If Mr.. Parker
had been elected and acted on his
theory that the common law supplied
all that was necessary for the sup
preston of trusts and the abolition of
REBATES. 1t may DC noteu dlso tHat
while Nj Bryan has been mostly en-
phatic and eloquent in his description
and denunciation of trusts and abuses
of corporations and wealth. his sug-
gested remedies for their prompt sup
preston have been very vague unless
indeed his proposal that the govern
ment buy or condemn all interstate
railways with their immense mileage
and maintain and operate them Is to
be regarded as an immediate, ready.
practicable and feasible remedy. In
view of this it is not a matter for any
surprise that the great combinations
and organizations that have increased
their profits and power by evil and