New-York tribune., 1906-09-06
SECRETARY TAFT SPEAKS In MAINE.
DEFENDS Mr.. LITTLEFIELD AND REPLIES TO COM
PERS-F4VORS TARIFF REVISION And EX
PECTS AGREEMENT IN FUTURE

ury OF War; addressed a large audience al Al
srneda Hall here tonight, and was enthusiast
oelly greeted il was Secretary Taft's only sp-
pearanoe IN the Maine campaign He was In
uoduced by Harold b. Sewal. formerly United
states Consul al Hawaii. whose guest he is while
here AR. Sewau spoke OF Secretary Taft as
the probable successor OF President ROOse-
Welt" Tomorrow the Secretary win return
70 Murray Bay. Canada
Secretary Taft said:
Ay Fellow CiuEens: propose this evening TO in
Vie your attention ehleAy 20 subject Ins. hss =, a
fou M tlls caEnpai6n, Nhethe: YOU snsi Ietuln ["
Eigcs refer 10 TIE evils arising from The misuse
ana abuse 81 tie pow erful instrunentsltes whieh
tsl has placed in The hands Of the comparatively
Few. 80 widespread have these eyile become that
the public has demanded remedies oy leslslalon % 10
restrain Them and 10 regulate and supervise more
es 5000 ana evil which organized capital has proven
VALUE OF WEALTH USED As CAPITAL.
10 the discpssion of this subject = IS wen for rs
begin with The premise that wealth used as capl-
vcnienoes ESSENTIAL 70 The Ire ana comfort OF The
peope i one OF The chief means by which a people
can be upliied iE their pursuit oi p9pls ~
certain class Of orators 70 gather the impression
are 10 be condemned: whereas when look st the
matter straght IN The face 80 Know that the pros
beea produces are largely 70 be attributed 70 the
sssen1o5s q tae - ,Ssf ~ nav be used 20 estabiish
snd carry ths Large enterprises for pIoouetGn,
prosperity which the country rs now ENJOYING Nouid
not have been attained VIC must ksep p eons,siiy s ~
70 disoourage corporate enterprises snd lie say.
ssshs ss q ssIasss Ihe 1S %ous ne fs with greater
5 SP9R , lse P99s 3s man SSsn upon the
prlsss.
PROSPERITY OF THIS COUNTRY SINCE lsee
ne enormous increase n the business of TINS
country and the wealth earning capacity arc SHOWN
BY the statistics recently ssueq hs Lne t.ns9s see
Bureau Of ths capital invested the proo1cs 5, naue
and the wages paid in the manufacturing lnaus- lna
tries OF the United States n The aye years rom ON
creased from s. a6 OooOoo 10 nearly Sseoeoo.. ar
RSTsased mere ssh from ro sisoooe % oooo
gan of 50 per cent WIZ IesPece % 20 more o.5
employed IN lsS than IN 1870 the amount PAID IN
weses %ss - per esnt sIes1,I ~ u l' ,s,Bfscturing
Industries receiving a less proporllonsts
Proportion OF wages. Never before IN the history
of the world has there been s9eh psesp. 6 b an
arch eonsIirator against the happiness OF an t9e
people WAo would celloeraley OF hesnseh1! uo
The men therefore, who are TO Be trusted and
sogsJe ana ospitsiistic abuses are those who fully
sggreeste wealth IS capital and recognize it as
indispensable 20 the prosperity Of the community
YET yet who al The same tine fully recognize lie evils
az the abuses which have arisen by its misuse and
the peoessify for their correction.
ABUSES OF ORGANIZED CAPITAL.
For the sake OF clesrness in examining into the
character OF the evils and abuses which need re
sItg o. snG 1hem into industrial corpoTstOn
tzes foT ne PgTPqSe @ S o. s1onS ana eber CORPORA
tiOns organized for the Transportation OF passea,,
eorporstions The valuable consideration moving
the public for conferring the privilege ana fran
such corporations is the public benefit 70 be derived
managers. however when the enterprises become
very iaree Is 70 SUPPRESS compsti'lon sid nalhtan
Share IN the benefit sought 10 be attained, and 70
5TTed from II impTored Facilities Of production One
method OF suppressing competition Is oy agree-
tie same business limit TIE output and maintain
are difcult FOR public officials TO obtain proof of
but when these agleements % become PuoIe ana
doned and the independent corpOrato'.s that acted
torstheT under secret agreements maintain
prices are sbsorbed into one great corporation.
that the large proportion OF the pToduelng capita
Then Competition with tie trust thus formed is
SeBe5 Se' distributors and retail dealers who are
ooerced by the agents OF tle trust into a mann IN
patronaEe from smaller independent ana compeung
producers InIoHgn me k1MlSts ~ sie ia cs 1S rs & WI
either refuse . sell or wl sell only at alscriLnlnat
ditions Of sale. Tie evil result OF such combina-
have given great ilnportance to the principle OF
law that acts Gone with TIE intent ana result or
sble When done by many persons or by n the use OF
purpose although The same acts with the same in
fenf when done or attempted be done BY per
oppressITe nor dangerous in result This Is the
basls Tor al antitrust legislation.
HISTORY OF MOVEMENT AGAINST TRUSTS.
The growth OF corporate enterprises to such size
ton between 1850 ana 1850 and d. rnosTatie House
land 5 administrator. directed a committees 10 make
sn Investigation into the subject or trusts and
sroPSss y @ ms 81, eoIay a. coeittes s' f,ed 10 agree
upon any remedy ny which the recognized evils
should Re esseo. sllilIs ft4eiaeu ma
nean TSat RepH6iIcan Congress OF iss0 in The So
ments or combinations IA restraint OF Interstate
ana subject 20 ane ara imprisonment and tie rem
eoy 70 suppress VI IN ~ - -.s ~, soctfer S.c
stoa ts ssSs oisaisg ot Ino12pQliss "a any ooInoa
sly n Interstate trade was oea9eieea a. an ~ orif
were provided For a law which anseie1 s1Ali
useful eetail in the description OF the offences
which were eelouneeo j would seem az 81 Con-
most indefinite idea O; how q 10 De described,
courts, ss casss ana decisions were invoked.
20 NOrk out the exact character o ire one ct7 or-
sroduced into the statute. In order that the inter
gretetion q u nlgnt seeeis Wlta "itsl MSs p,SSS pS
statute couls be used 70 Runisa combinations of the
SSslress ara seTns7ts eonoessd by I'll 10 6e ee,-
male proper and Tie diilIulty o. its construc-
sss rsSi I % eT sisa IA at by Il. LsEisStaTs and 10
ssf,ss p,3,SI , S. ~ sst tsr,sgns 9 " yitb ef
mate oofEbinatiols winch Congress had 10 purpose
y,ts Strsrssnf ,s n ss vTob SS6ie.sl interure-
tGtoa 70 make = cssr, could operate efectively 81
20 Be awaited before the general prpcse OF the act
could be atis!nel. More nan LIS ~ We peIl
The rigat q Congress 70 regulate istsEstae com
wsicA was isFreiy int-rstste e gss 0stea dircult
- pEcot 10 s..oE Huen . Greet relation CetAssl
as % make clear federal juTisdicfoT And YET the
SCOPE ot ne evils vas stSIsL &C "a y i.ee enc 81