The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-23
Why not conference of Southern
THE ANrt-r1,1tsr LAW.

III ~ Jaw
,rhe files OF The Richmond Times
will show that at least five years ago
we more than once gave warning
that tic sherman anti+trust law was
the United states. and that IL the
law should be rigidly enforced 1t
would cause serious disturbance In
business. But nobody gave attention
to the warning. for the simple reason
that the law was not enforced and
there was a general impression that 1t
had become a dead letter. 1t was not
enforced In McKinley's time. and as
late as 1901, President Roosevelt and
secretary Cortelyou were hobnobbins
with the trust magnates and receiving
financial aid from them for campaign
purposes. All of sudden. however,
President Roosevelt grabbed his big
stick and rushed into the arena as a
great trust buster.
And the prediction of The Richmond
Times was fulfilled
we do not excuse lawlessness. No
newspaper has more consistently up
held the majesty of the law or more
persistently insisted on it's enforce
ment But as the ANTITRUST law had
been practically a dead letter for so
long time, the President might have
been a bit more conservative and a
little less spectacular in bringing 1T
into active operation. Had he pursued
a policy of moderation he could have
corrected the abuses without giving
the country such a scare as to threaten
panic. His motto is when you strike
never strike softly" He busts trusts
just as he rides and shoots-with all
his might and main. 1t is his super
abundance of nervous energy, which
is not always restrained by the moder-
alton of craftsmanship.
After this was written, we CHANGED
to see in the New York Herald an
interview with Mr.. Jacob Ii. Schiff,
wellknown banker of that city, in
which he said:
president Roosevelt is certainly not
to blame for the many abuses in cor
porate management which have devel-
oped, and which he has had the cour-
age to lay bare AT present, 1t Is true,
we have to suffer in consequence of the
Presidents uncompromising attitude,
but posterity is certain to profit by it.
1t is regrettable, however. that no eff
fort has thus far been made on the
part of the government to reach an
understanding with the corporations
through which the necessity for these
harassing prosecutions may cease.
The abuses and Illegal acts which 1t
is now sought to punish were commit
ted mostly in years gone by, and re-
suited as much from business prac-
tees which at the time were very gem
eral as from the intention to do wrong.
To inflict extreme punishment now
for wrong practices of two to five
wears ago looks too much like original
ing in other motives than in the de-
sire to safeguard the future, which
should be, and probably is, the real
purpose.
1T would no doubt tend toward a
re establishment of better conditions If
prosecutions were to cease. with the
law on the part of corporations Will
hereafter be relentlessly punished, both
as far as the corporation and It's exc
cutiye officers are concerned; that es-
tablished concerns which for years
have carried on their business unmo-
Tested shall not now be sought to be
dissolved, but that hereafter no in
corporations will be permitted when
in the opinion of the Department OF
Justice would even tend toward re-
straint of trade and commerce
President Roosevelt is now too hot
in the chase to call off his dogs of
war, but Mr.. schif has given him
hint which he may we'll consider.
He might at least inform the public
whether or not he Is going to spring
on the business world any more SEN
sational prosecutions for past Of
lenses.
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