The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-08-20
Defends RooseveIt's Po|icies-- :
Railroads to Blame For Ad-
verse Laws and Slump
in Stocks
Favors Railroad and Trust Regulation With
Penitentiary as PenaIty-Rep|ies to
Bryan--WouId Revise Tariff After
Presidential Election

lbility OF railways to employees abolish
iih the fellow servant laws, and vii
cad to 4 settlement Of claims with
| ar las suits.
AS to Trusts.
\ pass now from railway regula
tlcn and the abuses arising in the dis
charge q public function to tho
evils which have grown out OF the
combinations existing in private bust
ness, ald 50 come to the subject OF
Trusts The combination of capital
IN large plants to manufacture goods
with the greatest economy is Just as
necessary as the assembling of the
| parts Of tho machine to the econo-
mical and moro rapid manufacture 3f
| what in old times was made by hand.
! The government should not Interfere
with the ono any more than the other.
IN the proper operation Of competi.
ton the public will soon share with
the manufacturer the advantage in
lowered prices. When, however. such
combinations not only lower the cost
to themselves, but are able to control
the market and maintain or raise the
|old prices, the public derives no hene-
lfit and is helpless ia the hap.Ie # \.
MONOPOLY
Sucn antISes Icu to tint passins OF
the antitrust law of 1890, under
which the supreme court had not
clearly defined an illegal combination.
The speaker held that a mere aggre-
cation OF all plants in one ownership
does not suppress competition; secret
rebates were most effective to main
tain monopoly,
Repliea 70 Mr. Bryan.
MIR Bryan asks me what ! would
do with the trusts answer that !
would restrain unlawful trusts with
all the efficiency of injunctive process
and would punish with all the sever
ity of criminal prosecution every at
tempt on the part of aggregated CAPT
tai through the illegal means | have
described to suppress competition.
Mr. Bryan is continually asking
why have some of the managers of
unlawful trusts have not been con-
yicted and sent to the penitentiary2
II synipathize with him in his wish
that this may be done. because !
think that the Imprisonment of one
or two would have a most healthy el-
feet throughout the country; but even
without such Imprisonment believe
that the prosecutions which are now
on foot and the injunctions which
have already been issued, have had a
marked effect on business methods.
one reason for the small number of
sentences OF imprisonment in trust
prosecutions is that the revelations of
unlawful trust methods and dishon-
esty have been chiefly made known in
secret rebates and as / have already
said. the Elkins act, until amended by
the rate bill, only prescribed fines as
a mode Of punishment In such cases.
income Tax.
Mr. Taft spoke of the evil of swOl.
hen fortunes and favored legislation
having tendency to divide such for
tunes. which should not be confisca-
tory. but to discourage their aecn-
mutation. This. he said was not so
,cialistic. The best remedy would be
found in state legislation. and grai
uated income tax would also have ?
tendency to reduce the motive for the
accumulation of enormous wealth.
The speaker reviewed President
Roosevelt's policies and ooncurred N
them heartily. lie denied that they
were Socialistic. but were framed t.
defeat Socialism; the railroads. mol
Mr. Roosevelt were responsible fol
restrictive legislation.
The slump In Wall street. was NO
due TO the presidents policies. Rcose
lvelt trusted in the people and in in
dividuals and he believed in stronl
and efficient government. while Mr.
Bryan's theories were based on dis
trust of individuals and a failure o
Representative government Bryai
seeks judicial procedure that vii
restrain the wealthy wrongdoer' bu
VIII give freedom Of action to IN
llawless poor. Mr. BRYAN would es
itahiish g nervclcss government Whic
would 80 hamper the individual cr
trusted with exerutivC power IS =
.r,-,,,rt,,sa-f On se~ond pzeel