The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-07-12
JUDGE PARKER ANSWERS
 SECRETARY OF WAR TAFT
EXCEPTION TAKEN TO UTTER ANCES DELIVERED AT
 GREENSBORO, N C.

Declares Recent Prosecutions Not Due
 10 New Statutes as Taft Would Have
 People Believe-QuOtes From His
 Letter of Acceptance During Last
 Campaign to Prove This--AbHses
 Could Have Been Eliminated Under
 the Old Laws.
 New York, July u.-Former Judge Alton B. Parker in a statement given out to-day took issue with some of the utterances of Secretary of War Taft in the speech delivered at Greensboro, N. c., by Mr. Taft last Monday. Judge Parker declares that the secretary in his speech sought to have the public draw the inference that the recent prosecutions of alleged illegal combina- tions 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. Tn both the speech and the letter Judge Parker is quoted as saying that the laws then on the statute books were entirely ade- uuate if enforced.
 Secretary Taft's speech at Greens boro, N. C., was interesting through out, but 1t cannot be said that it was accurate throughout 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 ef- feet that we have law enough to stop every corporate abuse; that all that is lacking is an administration disposed to enforce the law.
 q said, In the letter of acceptance under the title of Trust Remedies
 CT pointed out in my earlier response the remedy which in my judgment, can effectually be placed against mo- nopolies and the assurance was then given that If existing law, including both statute and common law proved inadequate, contrary to my expectations, I favor such further legislation, with constitutional limitations, as will best promote and safeguard the interests of all the people.
 "I emphasized the same thought on ether occasions in public speeches. I reiterated 1t in a speech on Jefferson day. 1905, in which I 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 eliminated. Nothing has been so much needed as rigid, honest, un- yielding enforcement of the law, both civil and criminal But instead of go- ing on with the enforcement of the law against rebates by putting the railroad officials responsible for them behind prison bars precisely as we do other malefactors their misconduct is made an excuse for further concentration of power in the federal government
 'It is expected by the administration and the railroad officials who openly consent to the movement, as well as by those who are ostensibly opposed to it, InaC the peOple III lIlelA Just Llul5H tion at the wrongs done to the many for the benefit of the few, will lose sight of the danger of so vast cen tra1ization of power until it is too late to check it. But We should never for get that the safety of our institutions is involved in every such movement, and instead of submitting to it, should insist that when trust or railroad has violated the criminal law the place for the guilty official is in jail or the penitentiary, not in the cabinet or in the board rooms of great railroads.
 'We do not deny or excuse any wrongs, but we must insist upon the truth of the maxim that two wrongs do not make a right