The Penn's Grove record., 1908-08-14
Mr. raet endorses tho Indictment.

declares that, during this time, some
prominent and influential members
of the community, spurred by financial
success and in their hurry for greater
wealth. became unmindful OF the COM
mon rules Of business honesty n
fidelity and of the limitations imposed
by law upon their actions!" and that
'the revelations Of the breaches or
trusts, the disclosures as to rebates
and determinations by railroads, the
accommodating evidence Of the viola
lions Of the antitrust laws, by a num-
Der of corporations. and the over-issue
of stocks and bonds of interstate rail-
roads for the unlawful enriching Of oil
rectors and for the purpose Of concen-
| trating the control Of the railroads un-
| der one management these, he
| charges. "quickened the conscience of
the people and brought on a moral
awakening"
During all this time. I beg to remind
you, Republican officials presided In the
executive department, filled the cab
| met, dominated the senate, controlled
| the house of representatives and occu-
pied most Of the federal judgeships,
Four years ago the Republican plat
form boastfully declared that since
1860-with the exception Of two years
the Republican party had been In o n
troll of part or Of all the branches of
the federal government; that for two
years only was the Democratic party In
q position to either enact or repeal a
law. Having drawn the salaries; hav-
ing enjoyed the honors; having secured
the prestige, let the Republican party
accept the responsibility!
Republican Party Responsible.
Why were these Known abuses
permitted to deyelopq Why have they
not been corrected If existing laws
are sufficient, why have they not been
enforced? All Of the executive ma
chinery of the federal government is
In the hands of the Republican party.
Are new laws necessary Why have
they not been enacted? With q Re
publican president to recommend, with
a Republican senate and house to carry
out his recommendations, why does the
Republican candidate plead for further
time in which to do what should have
been done long ago? Can Mr.. Taft
promise to be more strenuous In the
prosecution of wrong-doers than the
present executive? Can he ask for a
larger majority in the senate than his
party now has2 Does he need more
Republicans in the house of represent.
atives or a speaker with more uniim-
tied authority.
Why No Tariff Reform7
The presidents close friends have
been promising for several years that
he would attack the iniquities Of the
tariff, We have had intimation that
Mr.. Taft was FESTIVE under the de-
dustries. And yet the influence Of the
manufacturers, who have for twenty.
five years contributed to the Republican
campaign fund, and who In return
have framed the tariff schedules, has
been sufficient to prevent tariff reform
AS the present campaign approached
both the president and MI. Taft de
clared in favor of tariff revision, but
set the date of revision after the cleo
ton. But the pressure brought to beal
by the protected interests has beer
great enough to prevent any attempt a
tariff reform before the election; anG
the reduction promised after the cleo
ton is so hedged about with qualify
ing phrases, that no one can estimate
with accuracy the sum total Of tariff
reform to be expected in cas- Of Re
publican success. If the past can bt
taken as q guide, the Republican party
will be SO obligated by campaign con
tnbutions from the benefciaries Of pro
lection, as to make that party power
less to bring to the country my ma
terial relief from the present tariff
burdens.
Why No Antitrust Legislation?
A few years ago the Republican lead
ers in the house Of representatives
were coerced by public opinion into
the support Of an antitrust law which
had the endorsement Of the president
but the senate refused even to con.
slider the measure, and since that time
no effort has been made by the domi
nant party to secure remedial iegisla.
ton upon this subject.
Why No Railroad L~egIsIatlon7
For ten years the Interstate Com.
merce Commission has been asking fol
an enlargement, Of its powers, that II
might prevent rebates and discnmina.
tons, but a Republican senate and q
Republican house of representatives
were unmoved by its e~ntreaties. In
1000 the Republican national conven.
ton was urged to endorse the demand
for railway legislation, but its platform
was silent on the subject. Even In
1904 the convention gave no pledge to
remedy these abuses. When the presi-
dent finally asked for legislation he
drew his inspiration from three Demo
cratic national platforms and he re-
ceived more cordial support from the
Democrats than from the Republicans.
The Republicans In the senate deliber.
ateiy defeated several amendments of.
ferred by Senator La Toilette and sup-
ported by the Observation-Disclosures
embodying legislation asked by the In
terstate Commerce Commission. One
Oh these amendments authorized the
ascerta1nment Of the value of rail-
roads, This amendment was not only
defeated by the senate, but it was over.
wheimingly rejected by the recent Re-
publican national convention, and the
Republican candidate has sought to res
Il his party from the disastrous re-
suits Of this act by expressing him
seif' In a qualified way, in favor of
ascertaining the value of the railroads
Over-lssue Of Stocks and Bonds,
Mr.. Taft complains of the over-,ss,o