Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-28
ROOSEVELT TO BRYAN.
Continued from Page One.)

scores OF cases are still pending against
other leading railroads Among the
shippers that have been convicted are
some of the greatest corporations in
the United States as for instance the
american Sugar Co, the aggregate fine
actually paid being more than $4,000;
Swift & Co; Armour Packing Co.; the
Cudahy Packing Co; Nelson Morris
4 Co: each Of whom were fined $15,-
600, and the cases have now been car
rled to the supreme court. The Stand
ard Oil case is still pending.
This is a record of actual achieve
| ments, and beside il mere promises are
| empty, indeed; and they would not be
made now with any possibility of per-
Torrance resulting. if it were not for
| the achievement above recited.
You state that the Steel Co. with my
| express consent, purchased one OF it's
largest rivals and thus obtained con-
| troll of over so per cent. of the total
| output This action of the Steel Co.
| (Which increased it's share of the total
| output by only about per cent. and in
| no way altered the standing of the
company under the law may have
| been a violation of your plan, the alb
surdity of which has been exposed by
Governor Hughes. But there was no
violation of the law. | was cOgniZant
| of the entire transaction. 1t was not
entered into by the Steel Corporation
Of it's own desire, but solely at the
urgent request of the corporation pur-
! chased and of the big banks holding
| that corporations securities, in order
to enable them to prevent crash
| Ilth hn mir If
last fall into the most widespread
| disaster. | should indeed have been
derelict in my duty if had not so act
ed and efficiently used all the power
| of the government, whore it could be
| legally and properly used (aS it was in
this case) to see that the panic was
| kept within the smallest possible
| radius and the damage caused as
| slight as possible.
You would better understand the
principle upon which l acted if you
| would rid yourself of the idea that
am trying to discriminate for or against
| any man or corporation because he or
it is either wealthy or not wealthy.
| regard such discrimination in either
| direction as utterly incompa table With
| Il spirit of honesty and fair dealing. l
| tase my distinctions on conduct, not
on relative wealth. When the same men
who were leaders in the Steel Corpora
| ton acted in connection with the
| Northern Securities suit in a manner
which | regarded as contrary to the
| law, by my direction a successful suit
| was Immediately undertaken against
| them. If they violate the law in conncc-
| ton with any act of the Steel Corpora
ton l will Immediately proceed against
| them. Until they do violate the law
they Will be treated precisely as any
other corporation, great or small, which
oDeyS the law, is treated
| - treat each man and each corporation
with a view solely to whether he or it
| is acting rightly on a given occasion
Let me give you an example I have
| proceeded against the corporations OF
which Mr.. f. II. Hartman is the head
on certain points where l believe they
| have violated the law. But when in
| connection with the breaking of the
| Salton Sea dam, one of the Hartman
! corporations repaired the dam, l last
winter did everything l could to lave
| Congress reimburse Mr.. Harmon for
| so much of the obligation as l felt
ought to come upon the United States
| I would hold myself unfit to be Prcsi-
. dent if, because / prosecuted Mr.. Har-
riman where l thought he had broker
the law. / yet heSitated to do MIN JUS
| tice here | thought the facts required
| that justice should be done him. In
exactly the same way l have acted and
shall act as regards the Steel Corpora
| ton.
You ask me to name single official
connected with d law defying corpora
ton who has declared, or will declare.
that he is supporting you In st.
Louis paper which reaches me at the
same time that the papers containing
this published letter of yours. | finj il
statement from Judge Henry S. Priest
attorney for the Waters Pierce Oil
Co, the Western subsidiary or repre-
sentative of the Standard Oil Co, in
which he announces that he is for
Bryan and states that Wall Street be-
licNeS Bryan will be elected. In reply
as to whether he could quote any of the
Standard Oil magnates as feeling that
way. he answered: Il did not say saw
any officials of the Standard OIL Co. l
am giving you what I found was the
III VI oplipIl dIIlollts wen posted poll
tiCians as we'll as bankers.
guess Gov. Haskell is all right. They
have not proved anything on him, have
they?"
The newspaper chipping goes on tc say
that Judge Priest was one of the law
yers who fought Attorney General
Hadley in the states custer suit
against the Waters Pierce and Rcpub-
lie Oil Cos. His legal practice is chiefly
with the big corporations and his firm
is counsel for the United Railways Co.
and the Northern American interests
in st. Louis. Judge Priest is credited
with originating the phrase: Bribery
is conventional offense.' which he
used in an argument at the trial Of f.
NJ. Snyderk the Kansas City million
aire now dead"
You say that the trust magnates
know their own interests and are sup
porting Judge Taft So far as their in
terests are simply in the interests of
the business community and especially