The Mena weekly star., 1906-07-19
PARKER REPLIES ID IAl l.
Former Democratic Candidate TOT the Presidency Takes Issue With
 Secretary of War.
SAYS REPUBLICANS WERE SLOW TO ACT


 boro. N. C.. was Misleading Statutes on
 Which Suits Against Railroads and
 Trusts Were Based Were on the Books
 Prior to 1904.
 New York, July 13.-Former Judge Alton E. Parker, in a statement gwen ont Wednesday. took issue with some of the utterances of Secretary ot war Taft in the speech delivered at Greens boro, N. C., by Mir. Taft last Monday. Judge Parker declares that the secre- tary in his speech sought to have the public draw the inference that the re- cent prosecutions of alleged illegal combinations are due to new statutes To this Judge Parker takes exception and to support his contention he quotes from his letter of acceptance and speech subsequently delivered during the last presidential campaign. ID both the speech and the letter Judge Parker is quoted as saying that the laws then on the statute books were entirely adequate if enforced.
 Judge Parker In his statement says
 "The inference that Secretary Taft would have the public draw from his utterances is that these things are due to new statutes: that the vindication which the law is now receiving is due to congressional action since 1904. But that is not SO Not one of the success. ful prosecutions for which the exist ing administration is now entitled fG credit is based on any new statute. Every single one of them down to this date rests solely upon the law as 1t stood in 1904, and it should not be lost sight of by a discriminating public that the law could have been enforced in 1904 and in 1903 and in 1902, just as well as to-day Had it been the wrongs from which the people have suffered would not have so multiplied"
 Secretary Taft's speech at Greens boro, N. o." says Judge Parker, was interesting throughout, but , can not be said that it was accurate througout I shall only refer to the statement in which he alluded to the position taken by me in the campaign of 1904 in substance and effect that we have law enough to stop every cor porative abuse; that all that is lack ing is an administration disposed to enforce the law
 T said in the letter of acceptance under the title of trust remedies: I pointed out in my earlier response the remedy which in my judgment can effectually be appliat against monopolies and the assurance was giv- en that if existing laws, including both statute and common law, proved inadequate, contrary to my expecta- tions, l favor such further legislation
 ith constitutional limitations as will best promote and safeguard the inter ests of all the people,
 q emphasized the same thought on other occasions in public speech. reiterated it in a speech on Jefferson day, 1905, in which l said: The plain truth is that there has been no time during the past eight years since the abuses alleged became fragrant, when they could not have been elimin- ated Nothing has been so much needed as a rigid, honest, unyielding enforcement of the law, both civil and criminal But instead of going on with the enforcement of the law against rebates by putting the railroad officials responsible for them behind the prison bars precisely as we do other indicators, their misconduct is made an excuse for further con- centration of power in the federal government by the officers of the trusts and great corporations of the country.
 "The administration has now discov- cred not only that there is enforce able law against the giving of rebates and law adequate to check illegal combinations. but that the persons engaged in its violation can be pun ished for it. The recent decisions of the courts, the large fines imposed in cases of conviction, the threatened proceedings in every section of the country, all demonstrate that the law is and long has been adequate to stop offences against the public.
 "The decisions of the United States courts. both civil and criminal, dur ing the past year are appealed to as decisive of the question as to whether Secretary Taft or myself is right"
 Excursion Rates for Bryan Admirers.
 T,.lx