The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-10-27
FEAR OF THE LAW IS
IN TRUSTS HEARTS
At Least That is Secretary
Taft's Opinion
B0NAPARTE ALSO SPEAKS
Each Takes Pleasure In Saying Harsh
Things About the Democratic Party
From Greedy Down to
Bryan.
BONAPARTE ALSO SPEAKS

Baltimore, October 26.-rhe principal
meeting incidental to the current repub-
Ican congressional campaign in this state
was held at the Lyric tonight and was
made notable by the presence of two
cabinet officers. Secretary of War Taft
and Secretary OF the Navy Bonaparte.
The latter presided, and the former made
the principal address. Both were warm
ly greeted, the reception accorded Sec
retary Taft amounting to an ovation.
In opening the meeting Secretary Roma
paitc dr04a}tal N1se democratic party
. vigorously declaring that 1t was a party
OF no principles and no policy Va TO
get and keep office, no matter iross
Anything to win.' he said, has
been its motto for forty years, and what
it has been for two generations it is to-
day. 1t has nominated Hearst for gov
ernor of New York. just as thirty-four
years ago it nominated Greedy for Presi-
dent Of the United States, although it
must be noted that Greedy was personally
q respectable man. 1t tried "a sane and
safe candidate in 1904 only because 1t
had been beaten with one not called
sane or safe in 1900, and four years
previously, and as 1t was beaten even
worse when it tried sanity and safety,
1t is apparently getting ready to try
something yet more insane and yet more
unsafe in 1905"
Secretary Bonaparte concluded by intro
duclng Secretary Taft, as he would speak
with "far greater authority" than him
self.
Introduces Secretary Taft.
NJ. Il III; to
rent national issues, viewed in the light
of the work of the last Congress. He said
in part:
"The question tonight is whether the
President and the House of Representa-
tlves, with a republican majority have
done anything, or left anything undone,
calculated to impair confidence in them.
For a number of years it has been ap-
parent that the great opportunities for
the making of profits in industrial busi-
ness have been msused, and the purpose
of the President has been to devise means
to restrain such misuse.
''It was found that the most powerful
factor for sustaining the trusts was the
rebate system, and President Roosevelt's
Investigations resulted In the railway rate
bill, passed by the republican majorities
in both houses of Congress, although the
democrats say that the bill did not receive
republican votes. When 1t was finally
passed by what the democrats denounce
as the 'trust-ridden Senate It was more
drastic in its provisions than when 1t left
the House.
Fear Of Law In Hearts.
"The fear of the law has entered into
the hearts of the trusts Commissioner
Garfield's exposure of Standard oil has
resulted in competition In oil in New
England. Like results ha-e been secured
with regard to sugar and tobacco. and
we have not done with them yeti | but
cite these cases to show that Roosevelt
means what he says when he declares
that he is gonig to pursue il-gotten
wealth.
'The tariff fixes the basis of most of the
manufacturing business o. the country,
and operates with great influence on bus
iness everywhere. If you change the tariff
with a rude hand, you destroy the busi-
ness that rests on the protective principle.
The tariff encourages trusts only so far
as 1t makes 1t easier to gather into one
corporation all American manufacturers
than 1t would to gather In those and the
European ones as well.
Senator Rayner has asked me to debate
the tariff with him. / am frank to say
that / do not intend TO go into the va
rious schedules with him. for | admit that
! know even less of them probably than
he does, although | have had some ex-
perience in making tariffs for other coun-
tries. The trusts cannot be controlled by
any manipulation of the tariffs: the only
way to handle them is through the
courts
Secretary Taft lauded the defeat of the
anti-injunction law. which he analyzed
critically.
Labor organizations" he said. ARE
usefu-as useful as corporations-but
there Is no reason why men who misuse
either corporations or labor organizations
should not be restrained and made to
obey the law
The speaker defended the navy and
army, and spoke for the adequate main
tenance of both