Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-09-29

The Bryan claim for campaign con-
tribution publicity is called trick by
which the Nebraskan sought to gain
political ammunition.
The Presidents Letter.
The text of President Roosevelt'p
letter to Mr. Bryan is as follows:
Sept. 81, 1908
Dear Sir: l have seen your letter
published in this mornings papers.
AS to most of what you say about me
personally | Go not regard an answer
necessary.
when you say that I am unfair 20
your platform you reiterate certain
opinions as to which l had quoted,
with my hearty approval, Governor
Hughes in my first letter; and these
therefore, it is also unnecessary to-
answer. You have not answered the
Hughes speech, and in my judgment
you will do well not to make the at
tempt. You say that your platform
declares in favor of vigorous enforce
ment of the law against guilty trust
magnates and officials and that the
platform upon which .Ir. Taft stands
makes no such declaration.
"It was not necessary. That plat
form approved the policies of this adj
ministration and promised to continue
them; and here as usual, have only
to compare your words with the deeds
of the administration and of Mr.. Taft
You merely promise in your platform
that you intend to 60 Just what this
administration has actually done and
is doing.
Empty Democratic Promises.
"To show the difference between
deeds and words l will compare the
record of this administration with the
record of one of your most prominent
supporters at the moment, Mr.. OInev,
attorney general under the last Demo
cratic administration. While Mr.. OF
ney was attorney general, no cases
whatever was brought under the anti
trust law, against combinations of cap
| ital, the only new cases which be
brought being directed against com
binations of workingmen. During thar
entire administration the only cases
brought against combinations of capt
| tai under the antitrust act we're four
in number, two of which were unsuc'
cessful; one of the other two being
the case which was decided by Judge
Taft in favor of the government.
"Under this administration a mass
of such cases have been brought, in
cluding the case against the Northern
|Securities company, against the beef
packers, against the Federal Salt com
pany, against the General Paper com
pany, against the Cts and other ele
vator companies against the American
Tobacco company, against the powder
! trust, against the Virginia Carolina
Chemical company, against the Stand
ard Oil company, and others.
''In a number of these cases the
government has already succeeded, b.
| injunction and otherwise. Some 81
the cases are now pending. In hardl!
any important case again great law
breaking corporations has, the govern
ment yet suffered final defeat.
| The Democratic Record.
GAS regards suits to suppress rail
way abuses; under the last Democrat
ic administration there were no in
dictments agains shippers for receiv
ing rebates or secret rates. Under
my administrations there have beer
forty-nine indictments for secret re
! DdlSo, lCoulIlAS Ill ClSlISCh SollN IL
tions; and in only four cases havt
these indictments failed. The othel
| twenty-seven cases are still pending
i Among the railroads which have beer
convicted are the Chicago & Alton
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, tht
New York Central, the Chicago, Rocl
Island & Pacific and the Chicago, Mil
waukee & ST. Paul, while scores O.
cases are still pending against othel
leading railroads.
Among the shippers that have
been convicted are some of the great
est corporations in the United States
as, for instance, the American Suga1
company, the aggregate fine actual,
paid being more than $150,000; Swif
& Co., Armour Packing company, thf
Cudahy Packing company, Nelson
Morris & Co., each of whom was fineC
$4,000, and the cases have now beer
carried to the supreme court. Tht
Standard Oil case is still pending
this is record of actual achievement
and besides if mere promises art
empty indeed; and they would hot b.
made now with any possibility of per
formance resulting if it were not 70
IuS cCulSVeulSlL dUOfS CiLSu.
The Big Steel Deal.
"You state that the steel company
with my express consent, purchaser
one of it's largest rivals and thus oh
tained control of over so per cent O
the total output. This action of tn
steel company (Which increased it
share of the total output by only abou
per cent, and in 70 way altered tn
standing of the cCmpany, under tn
law may have been violation .
your plan, the absurdity of which ha
been exposed by Governor Hughes
But there was no violation of the law
was cognizant of the entire transat
tions. 1t was not entered into by tn
steel corporation of is own desire
but solely at the urgent request c
) the corporation purchased and of tn
5 big banks holding that corporation
securities. in oruer to enable them t
5 prevent a crash which would hav
: turned the panic of last fall into tn
most widespread disaster.
, Il should indeed have been derelic