The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-24

To recall to your mind what Gov ernor Hughes said I quote as foiio"s'
 "'wh en we considert hose (propos- ed) remedies. (of MT. Bryan) against the trusts. we find ourselves tourney ing in a land of dreams. Again the magician of 1898 waves his wand. At a stroke dificulties disappear and the complex problems of modern business are forgotten in the fascination Of the simple panacea. The most important proposal of Mir. Bryan Is that any manufacturing or trading corporation engaged in interstate commerce snai be required to take out Federal IT. cense before if shall be permittd to control as much as twenty-five per cent of the product in which It deals and no corporation shall be permit ted to control more than fifty per cent of the total amount of any product consumed in the United States
 Asks Bryan Questions.
 "It might be interesting to tn- quire what Is the meaning of any product consumed in the United States. Does 1t refer to a class of commodi- ties? And if so how shall the classes be defined. or does 1t refer to each separate article of commerce? And 1T so, what account does this proposai take of tho skill and initiative of man ufacturers who have built up more or IGbS eNCiuoitt ti6uc P@s articles often protected by trade marks. although in most active com. petition with other articles designed for the same general purpose and seek ing the same market?
 Tn a desire to correct the evils of business, are we to place an embargo upon honest endeavor whose activi- ties present none of the abuses requir- ing remedies? And. h not, what stat utory definitions shall be found to be adequate and just if we lay down our prohibition in terms of volume or ratio of business and not In terms of right and wrong? If we adopt Mir. Bryan's proposal to what period of production is the prohibition to apply? I sthe excess for a day or for month to be considered? Or is the average production for year to be taken. And l what system shall be devised by which suitable information may be furnished l in the nature of danger signals along | the routes of trade so that the manu- | facture may know when he is about to | exceed the prescribed ratio? He may justly be required to govern his own | conduct but how shall he be apprised | of the conduct of others upon which is to depend his guilt or innocenceT Let us repeat that no law-defying | corporation has anything to fear from you save what 1t will suffer in the | general paralysis of business which any attempt on your part to reduce to practice what you have advocated | would bring. This paralysis would af- | feet the wageworker, the farmer the small business man more than it would affect the great business man. But 1t would affect the latter too.
 l Therefore. hope and believe that | all farsighted citizens who wish to see this country prosper in material things | will support Mir. Taft. But above all,
 Task for support for him because he stands for the moral upiifht of the na- tion, because his deeds have made good words and because the policies to | which he is committed are of im- measurable consequence alike to the honor and the interests of the whole American people.
 Very truly yours.
 Theodore Roosevelt.
 Hon. William Jennings Bryan.
 Lincoln. Neb"