The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-01-31

same object while thew likewise push
the circulation o. tie writings ana
speeches of men who, whether because
they are misled, or because seeing the
light they yet are willing 10 a.u against
tha light serve theS- their masters OE
great wealth to the cost of the plain
people.
Digs at STANDARD Oil.
The books and pamphlets. the con
trolIed newspapers. the speeches by
public or private men u which j refer.
are usually Ird especially In the 60
tercst OF re STANDARD oil Trust and CT
certain notorious railroad combinations.
but they also defend other individuals
and corporations of great wealth that
have been guilty of wronEdoing. It IS
only rarely that the men responsible
Tor the wrongdoing themselves speak
or write. Normally they hire others 10
do their bidding. or hId oLHeIs VINO
will do IL without hire. From the rail-
rOad-rate law 10 the puTc-tOOd law,
every measure FOR honesty In business
that has been passed curing the last
SIX years mas been opposed by these
men on its passage ana IN It's dluil MS
trafIOH with every resource that bitter
and uusCu pulOus craft could suggest
and the command Of almost unlimited
money secure But Tor the last year
the attack has been made with most
bitterness upon the actual aQmlDlStrd-
ton Of the law especially through the
Department of Justice. but also through
the Interstate Commerce Commission
and the Bureau Of Corporations
The extra ordinary VlJleDCe of the as
saults upon our policy contained In
these speeches, editorials. articles. ad-
refreshments, and pamphlets, and the
enormous sums OF money spent in these
various ways. give q fairly accurate
measure of the anger and terror which
our public actions have caused the cor
rupt men OF vast wealth 70 icel IN the
very marrow Of their being The at
tack is sometimes made openly against
Us for enforcing the law, and sometimes
with a certain cunning. Tor ROT trying TO
enforce it IN some other wa than that
which experience SHOWS 20 De practical
one Of tine favOrite methods Of the
latter class Of assailant is To attack the
Administration for not procuring the
fruurisoumant instead OF the fine OF Of
tenders under these antitrust laws.
The man making this assault IS usual
Iv either a prominent lawyer or an
editor who takes ais policy from the
fnauciers ana his arguments from tlel-
attorneys II the former. he hes de-
Tended and advised map5 wealthy male
factors. and he kunTS well thai. thanks
to the advice Of lawyers like himself.
a certain kind of modern corporation
has been turned into an admirable in
strl1ment By which TO render il we'll
night impossible To get at the head or
the corporation, at the man who is
really most guilty.
Prison for Wrongd0ers.
When we are able to put the real
wrougdoer in prison, this is what we
strive % do; this is what we have ac-
tuaIlv done with some very wealthy
criminals, who, moreover, represented
that NEST banefuI of all alliances, the
alliance between the corruption OF or
gained politics and the corruption Of
high finance This is what we have
done in tne Gaynor and Greene case.
in the case OF the InisappHcation or
funds in connection with certain great
banks in Chicago, in the laud-Iraud
cases, where, as in other cases like
wise neither the highest political pO-
siuOn nor thc possession OF great
wealth, has awaited to save the Of
tenders from prison.
The Federal Government does scOuTge
sin, it does bid sinners fear; for it
has put behind the bars with impartial
severity the powerful .inanCier, the
powerful politician the rich land thief.
the rich cOntraCtOT-au, no matter how
high their station, against whOTr Grim
lnal nlSCeedS can be proved. All their
wealth and power can not protect them.
But II often happens that the effort
TO tmprlson a given defendant is GER
tain TO be futile, while It Is possible to
nne him or to fine the corporation of
which he is head; so that. in other
words, the only way OF furnishing the
wrong is by filming the corporation, un-
less we are content to proceed per
soEally against the minor agents. The
corporation lawyers to whom ! refer
and their employers are the men mainly
responsible for this state Of things,
and their responsibility is shared with
al who ingeniously oppose the passing
Of just and effective laws. or who fail
10 execute them when they have been
put on the statute books.
Duty of Stockholders.
Much is said. IN these attacks upoa.
policy Of the present Administration
about the rights Of innocent stock
holders" That stakeholder is not innO-
cent who voluntarily RpgehAaas Eteek