The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-22
.BONAPARTE HITS
 BLOW AT TRUSTS
Says Some People Believe They
 Are Exempt from Law
LAWS MUST BE EXECUTED
Attorney General Delivers an Address Before the Illinois Athletic Club and Shows How American Law Is
 obstructed and Dsobeyed.

Chicago, December 2.-Attorney Gen. eral Charles J. Bonaparte, who passed the day in Chicago as the guest of the Illinois Athletic club, was the principal speaker at banquet of that organiza- ton tonight, in honor of it's officers. Others who responded to toasts were Congressman Frank o. Lowden. James Hamilton Lewis of Chicago, formerly congressman from Washington, and Sam uel Altschuler of Aurora, III.
 MT. Bonaparte spoke on obstacles to the Execution of the Laws" He said that he spoke for no one but himself
 For my many sins of commission and omission, as Attorney General" he said. "the President must bear his share of responsibility; but for my faults as a post prandial orator, it would be hard to hold him to blame."
 The subject of MT. Bonaparte's ad- dress was Obstacles to the Execution of Laws" and he quoted from that part of the constitution which says, The shall take care that the laws be faithfully ex- ecuted." This duty, he said, was prob ably the most important and most clear " safety of all the Presidents duties. but, he said "lf when he seeks to fulfill 1t, a stumbling block Is placed in his path; if the faithful execution of the laws is made difficult or uncertain in whatever measure or what cause, the American people should be plainly told that the American people should find and apply a remedy
 Exempt From Law.
 Continuing. MT. Bonaparte said that his experience as Attorney General showed him that some people think, or talk and write, as though the law specially ex- empted them.
 .rIn the eastern states" he added, "any enforcement of federal statutes forbidding conspiracies in restraint of trade or fa- voritism by common carriers is greeted by a chorus of walls, as unsettling bus iness and breeding or keeping alive panics. In this connection the south western and western states, the prosecu- tion of men who acquired vast pubic lands through fraud and perjury, in plain violation of law and with enormous pront to themselves, is fiercely denounced as .nersecution of prominent and public snirited, citizens. Finally. In some south ern states. attempts to bring punishment, ,,rdar the laws of the United States for hiddIng peonage, those who virtually en- sIave helpless negroes and no less neip- Iess foreigners, provoke a like outcry.
 .In all these cases alike. the Idea un- deriving the, complaint, an idea often more or less concealed by sophistry and faIsehood, is that laws. or some laws. are not really intended to be really obeyed by some people.
 People Behind Laws.
 "Now. in this country. neither tho President nor any one else. can execute the laws faithfully, or execute them at all unless the American people want them executed. If 1t is the peoples wish that any laws. or all laws, shall become dead letters. then such laws cannot be, and will not be enforced.
 I. for one believe, that the people have m such wish, and I believe that prac- tically every one believes as I do. that the very men that raise the misleading clamors do not because they dare not, say plainly what they mean and what thev think I believe that If they said this SO that 1t could be understood they and everv one else as we'll would learn quick Iv and unmistakably that the people think and wish nothing of the sort Amer jeans. as a nation, think their laws are meant to be obeyed by all alike, by the rich no less than by the poor. by the enlightened no less than by the ignor- ant.
 Attempt To Deceive.
 .'The danger in this respect is that ths people may be deceived; and, in fact, l ~-~-~~~~~~~~-~-~~~-~ -->~>@-.~s>~.-~>~--->
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