The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-13

all the questions now under dlScuSSfon IS
 Shall the people rule?" No matter which
 way we turn, no matter to what subject we address ourselves, the same question eonfronts us. Shall the people control their own government and use that gov ernment for the protection of their rights and for the promotion of their wei fare? or shall the representatives Of pred atory wealth prey upon defenseless pub lie while the offenders secure immunity from subservient officials whom they raise to power by interruptions methods? This is the issue raised by the known abuses" to which Mir. Taft refers
 Presidents Indictment Against the
 Party.
 In a message sent to Congress last Jan uary, President Roosevelt said: "The attacks by these great corporations on the administration actions have been given a wide circulation throughout the country, in the newspapers and other wise by those writers and speakers who, consciously or unconseiously, act as the representatives of predatory wealth-of the wealth accumulated on a giant scale by all forms of iniquity, ranging from the oppression of wage-earners to unfair and unwholesome methods of crushing out competition, and to defrauding the public by stock jobbing and the manip- ulation of securities Certain wealthy men of this stamp, whose conduct should be abhorrent to every man of ordinarily decent conscience, and who commit the hideous wrong of teaching our young men that phenomenal business success must ordinarily be based on dishonesty, have, during the last few months made
 1t apparent that they have banded to- gether to work for reaction. Their en- deavor is to overthrow and discredit all who honestly administer the law, to pre- vent any additional legislation which would check and restrain them, and to secure, if possible, a freedom from all restraint which will permit every un- scrupulous wrong-doer to do what he wishes unchecked provided he has enough money."-What an arraignment of the predatory interests!
 Is the Presidents indictment true? And if true, against whom was the indict- ment directed? Not against the demo- cratic party.
 MT. Taft lndorses the Indictment.
 MT. Taft says that these evils have crept in during the last 10 years. He declares that during this time, some prominent and influential members Of the community, spurred by financial sue cess and in their hurry for greater wealth, became unmindful of the common rules of business honesty and fidelity, and of the limitations imposed by law upon their actions;" and that the reve- | lations of the breaches of trusts the dls- l closures as to rebates and discrimlnatlohs 1 by railroads the accommodating eYldence | of the violations of the antitrust laws py ] a number of corporations and the over issue of stocks and bonds of interstate railroads for the unlawful enriching or directors and for the purpose of concen- | trating the control of the railroads under | one management'-all these, he charges,
 "uuickened the conscience of the people and brought on a moral awakening. During all this time, I beg to remind you. republican officials presided Tn the executive department, filled the cabinet dominated the Senate, controlled the House of Representatives and occupied most of the federal judgeships. Four years ago the republican platform boast 1 fully declared that since 1S6O-wlth the exception of two years-the republican | party had been in control of part or or all l the branches of the federal government; that for two years only was the demo- | cratic party in a position to elther enact or repeal a law. Having drawn the sal aries; having enjoyed the honors' haVins secured the prestige, let the republican | party accept the responsibility!
 Republican Party Responsible.
 Why were these known abuses per mitted to develop? Why have they not | been corrected? If existing laws are sui
 ficient. why have they not been enforced! 1 All of the executive machinery of the l federal government is in the hands or the l renuhlican party. Are new laws neces-
 sary? Why have they not been enacted! i! l With A republican President to Tecom- mend. with a republican Senate ana House to carry out his recommendations, why does the republican candidate pieau | for further time in which to do what l should have been done long ago! Gan 1 Mr Taft promise to Re more strenuous m | tha nrosecution of wrong-doers than the nresent executive? Can he ask TOT | larger majority in the Senate than ms | marty now has? Does he need more Pe- publicans in the House of RepresentatiVes | ar A speaker with more unlimited au- thority?
 Why No Tariff Reform?
 The Presidents close friends have been nronoisine for several years that he would | attack the iniquities of the tarln. we have had intimation that MT. Ialt was | restive under the demands of the hghly l protected industries. And yet tne ihllu- | ence of the manufacturers, who nave TOT l 25 years contributed to the republican l campaign fund, and who in return nave | framed the tariff schedules, has been 1 sufficient to prevent tariff reform. AS 1 the present campaign approached poth | inc President and MT. Taft declared In | favor of tariff revision, but set the date | of revision after the election. But the | measure brought to bear by the protect | ed interests has been great enough to i prevent any attempt of tariff reform be- 1 fore the election; and the reduction prom l ised after the election is so hedged about with qualifying phrases that no one can estimate with accuracy the sum total of | tariff reform to be expected in case or { republican success. If the past can be l taken as a guide the republican party I will be so obligated by campaign con- l tributions from the beneficiaries of pro- | lection as to make that party powerless | to bring to the country any material re- lief from the present tariff burdens Why No Antitrust Legislation? few years ago the republican leaders | in the House of Representatives were coerced by public opinion into the sup port of an antitrust law which had the | Endorsement of the President, but the | Senate refused even to consider the meas | ure and since that time no effort has | been made by the dominant party to se- 1 cure remedial legislation upon this sub l ject
 Why No Railroad Legislation? For ten years the interstate commerce | commission has been asking for an en- | largement of it's powers, that it might ] prevent rebates and discriminations, but republican Senate and a republican