The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-11-23
NATIONAL POLITICS As
SEEN FROM WASHING TON
Republican and Democratic Fatalities on the
November Firing Line--HoW the President
lnterprets Returns Proposed Policies.

would have been elected but for that
speech by Mr.. Root. A few days before
the election the members of his ca blneI
scattered in all directions on stumplns
tours and bearing word that the Pres
ident expected his friends to come out
at the polls Secretary Taft fastened
far out to Idaho and probably saved
that state from electing a Democratic
governor.
THE PRESIDENTS PLANS.
The President is now able to proceed
with his plans for legislation and for
execution He wants an income tax
law and he wants to prosecute the
trusts more vigorously than ever be-
fore. He views the election as warn
ing that the people are disposed to
trust him little longer to put the
trusts out of business. If he can not |
do so by the careful. thoroughgoing |
methods. as free from radicalism as |
possible. the people are likely to turn
to the more drastic methods when
will be within their power in two years
from now.
So before he departed for his trip TO /
Panama. the President passed the word
TO Attorney General Moody to file that
s,lit for an injunction against the
Standard Oil Company under the Sher-
man antitrust law. 1t will be BEFORE /
the courts for action within week OF
two and a battle royal will be on. Inc
hest lawyers the Standard could hire
have built up the great trust ourihs
a period of forty years. Ihe pest
LAWYERS at the Presidents colnmalo
will try to tear it down, but without
unduly disturbing business. Inc gov
eminent lost the beef trust cases. Out
II won the Northern Securities case.
The latter was regarded as a distinct
victory for the people, although it has
been claimed, and probably correctly
that it was a fruitless victory. Inc
harrington. Northern Pacific and Great
Northern railroads are doing IN erect
the same things that were pronouflceo
unlawful for the Northern securities
holding company to do.
Because of the futility of the North
ern Securities and the Beef Trust pros
ecutions the government has been eH-
ercising special care in preparing lor
the standard Oil prosecution. Inc AT
torney General has been in DOUBT right
up to the last moment whether TO ap-
plv for an injunction to tear the ten
tacles from the oil octopus or 10 lhstl-
tute a criminal prosecution. The legal
battle over the case will be one for
giants and will probably last for two
or three years
But whether the antitrust suits all
break down and the arduous work of
the Attorney Generals office for the
last seven years amounts to anything
or not in actually breaking up the bad
trusts. there is no question that the
prosecutions Indirectly have had a
splendid and far-reaching effect upon
the business of the country. Transac-
tons of a probable criminal character
that were thought little of five years
ago and were of frequent occurrence,
are entirely tabooed now in the bust
ness world. The possibility that such
ira nsa ctions will get men into legal
difficulties is sufficient reason for avoid
ing them.
A prominent New York lawyer, who
visited the Department of Justice with
! in the past week, emphasized the eff
fects of the antitrust prosecutions as
far reaching. Almost every week
day" said he 'clients come into my
office with propositions which I would
have favored a few years ago. but
which L now advise them against"
The Presidents fervent hope I'M
doubt edly is to correct the trust evils
by his own methods so effectively that
the people will be satisfied by 1908 and
will not want to wreak vengeance upon
the Republican party for not having
done enough. He is we'll pleased with
what has already been accomplished
and also that it has been accomplished
without disturbing business or under
mining prosperity. His program for an
income tax and possibly for other leg
islation that will tend to curb swollen
fortunes cOntemplates no violent effect
upon the business world.
It is his purpose to begin the agita-
ton for these further reforms at the
coming session of Congress- not with
a view that Congress this winter can
enact any of his important recommen-
dations into law, but that the agita-
ton for the legislation will begin, that
editors will write about it, public
men talk about it, and public senti-
ment be created to demand the law. This
was the identical program followed by
the President in bringing about the
railroad rate legislation. He virtually
created the issue and then used the
public sentiment he had aroused to
force Senators and members to act.
AGAINST RADICALISM.
Speaker Cannon is coming down to
Washington late in November to urge
the President to make no more radical
recommendation to Congress. He
hopes the President will eliminate the
income tax and other like recommen-
dations from the message to Congress
in December. If the President had
not FASTENED away to Panama so soon
Speaker Cannon would have come down
. to Washington at once to urge that
Congress this winter be left free from
agitation and be allowed simply TO pass
The appropriation bills and adjourn
The turmoil of the last session over
statehood. railroad rates. pure food and
meat inspection were not altogether to
the Speakers liking. 1t made a heap
# trn1l HE for h in L.aarinec his hig