The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-28
President Roosevelt Addresses
Another Letter to Lincoln.
Compares His Own Administra.
tiOn With Cleveland's.
A JOLT FOR HASKELL
Standard Oil Misconduct Only
One of Many Incidents.
Answers Statement Regarding
Campaign Contributions.

4
Roosevelt late last night made reply
to W. J. Bryan's recent speech in
which he maintained that the Demo-
cratic party and platform We're not
getting square deal in the campaign.
The presidents reply deals particular
ly with Mr.. Bryan's assertion that the
administration has been neither sin
cere nor effective in the prosecution of
trusts. Mr.. Roosevelt combats this
| charge with characteristic emphasis
and sets forth in detail what has been
done under his direction toward curb
ing the tendency of capital to central
ize with a view to destroying competi-
| ton. The presidents letter follows:
September 81. 1908.
Dear Sir: I have seen your letter
published in this mornings papers. AS
to most of what you say about me per-
| sonally I do not regard any answer is
necessary. When you say that 1 am
unfair to your platform you reiterate
certain opinions as TO which 1 had
quoted. with my hearty approval, Gov
ernor 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 do we'll not to make the attempt.
You say that your plotform declares
| in favor of vigorous enforcement Of
the law against guilty trust magnates
and officials, and that the platform
upon which Mr.. Taft stands makes no
| such declaration. 1t was not neces-
sary. That platform approved the
| policies of this administration and
promised to continue them and here,
as usual. 1 have oniv to compare your
words with the deeds of the admins
| tration and of Mr.. Taft. You merely
promise in your platform that you in
tend to do just what this administra-
ton hoe o0ft a &c ~
Compares Records.
ITO show the difference between
deeds and words 1 will compare the
record of this administration with the
record of one of your most prominent
supporters at the moment, Mr.. Olney,
attorney general under the last DEM
oeratic administration. While Olney
was attorney general no cases what
ever were brought under the antitrust
| law against combinations of capital
the only new cases which he brought
being directed against combinations of
workingmen. During the entire ad-
ministration the only cases brought
against combinations of capital under
the antitrust act were four in num-
ber, two of which were unsuccessful,
| one of the other two being the case
which was decided by Judge Taft in
favor of the government.
''Under this administration mass or
such cases have been brought, includ-
| ing the case against the Northern Sc
| curities company: against the beer
packers; against the Federal Salt COM
| pany; against the General Paper COM
pany; against the Otis and other ele-
yator companies; against the Amerf-
can Tobacco company; against the
powder trust; against the Virgina-Car-
| oIfna Chemical company; against the
Standard Oil company. and others.
I'm a number of these cases the gov
| -. el1-e a6 in
functions and otherwise. Some of the
| cases are now pending. In hardly any
important case against great law
breaking corporations has the govern
ment yet suffered final defeat.
.'As regards suits to suppress rail-
way abuses, under the last Democratic
administration there were no ind1ct-
ments against shippers for receiving
| rebates or secret rates. Under my ad-
ministration there have been 49 in
dictments for secret rebates, resulting
| in IS convictions; and in only four
cases have these indictments failed.
The other 27 cases are still pending.
| Among the railroads which have been
convicted are the Chicago & Alton;
! Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; the
| New York Central; the Chicago, Rock
island & Pacific. and the Chicago,
| milwaukee, & ST. Paul, while scores of
cases are still pending against other
leading railroads.
Convictions Secured.
Among the shippers that have been
convicted are some OF the greatest cor
norations in the United States. as for
the aggregate fine actually paid being
more than $150,000; Swift, the Armour
Packing company, the Cudahy Packing
company, Nelson Morris q Co, each of
whom was fined $4,000, and the cases
have. now been carried to the supreme
court. The Standard Oil case is still
pending. This is d record OF actual
achievement and beside it mere prom
ises are empty indeed and they would
not be made now with any possibility
of performance resulting II 1t We're not
for the achievement above recited.
You state that the steel company
with my express consent purchased
one of the largest rivals and thus OBJ
tained control of over so per cent Of the
total output This action of the Steel
company (Which increased its share of
the total output by only about per
cent and in no way altered the stand
ing of the company under the law)
may have been a violation of your plan
the absurdity of which has been ex-
posed by Governor Hughes. But there
was no violation of the law. I was
cognizant of the entire transaction. 1t
was not entered into by the steel cor
poration of its own desire but solely
at the urgent requests of the corpora
ton purchased and of the big banks
holding that corporations securities, in
order to enable them to prevent crash
which would have turned the panic of
last fall into the most widespread dis
aSter.
"I should indeed have been
derelict in my duty if I had not so
acted and efficiently used all the
power of the government where il
could be legally and properly used
Gas it was in this case) to see that
the panic was kept within the small
est possible radius and the damage