New-York tribune., 1909-06-25
AGAINST TAFT PLAN
Er-Judge Parker Says Corporation
Tdr Is DeceiUing.

The address of ex-Judge Alton B. Parker. in
which he warned his hearers to keep out Of poll
ties If they thought there fortunes to be made
out of it and attacked the tendency TO federal
control, the feature of the ifty-seventh an
nual commencement of the College of he City Of
New York yesterday. There 131 graduates. 81
receiving the degree Bachelor of Arts and 50 the
degree of Bachelor of Science.
The exercises opened with the academic process
sion into the great hall President John F1nay,
ex-Judge Alton B. Parker, Professor Samuel A.
Baldwin. the Rev. G. Ashton Oldham. the Rev.
John j. Wynne Edward VI. Shepard, chairman OF
the board Of trustees: Trustees Frederick P Bel
lamy. Lee Kohns. William Henry Coroitt. Theo-
dore F. Miller. Parker D. Handy. Charles Strauss
and Egerton l. winthrop jr.. and James W. Hyde.
secretary Of the Board OF Education, marched in
the procession.
In his address to the graduates Mr. Parker said:
! advise you never TO enter public life with the
10 be made there. Every period has its problems.
and nd We We have & our PT2oeS % fa TRea @ Ga %
people alone Soverezn-upon us. therefore, rests
eHme6 and you % owe Il TO our voGTsef as Citizens 10
give your hearts to the solution Of the problems
ss We know mat laws are not enforced because the
Many good men have kept sloof from politics
thinking that It wef not worth their effort. and
this gave chance to politicians 10 work toward
their own ends. Party machinery is faulty and
while the party to which | belong is not as much
this is due TO the fact that it has been in power
When the need arose in the a0s to prosecute
some OF the corporations politicians called
upon the Attorney General to try TO stop pro
ceedngs because those corporations had contrib
uted largely TO the campaign funds, and today
Il has become almost too late because the public
opposes prosecutions fearing that panics may
ensue.
II We want to end this partnership between the
government and politics must take away from
the political machines the power TO close bar
gains for campaign fund contributions
There many tricks which serve not only 20
mislead the public but also the various executives.
by trying 10 create the impression that certain
measures are being demanded by the public II
is done in the way the New York Central did II
II got M Of those citizens movements which
purported to demand that its tracks on the West
Side in the city should be elevated II opposed
being forced 70 f. by the legislature. although II
was the roads desire to have those elevated.
Such tricks were practised long ago. and sktfully
When 7 read In the papers about the proposed tax
of per cent the net returns Of corporations L
was impressed that this. too, belongs in the cate
gory Or tricks. Its purpose is said 10 De to raise
revenues and I don't mean 70 say that revenue -
not what the President wants. Presidents also are
deceived But since 1898 there have been efforts
made by the corporations to get away from state
control and the surveillance of close neiZnhoTs ne
insurance companies were - serve as the entering
wedge and the Hepburn law introduced last year
had for its second purpose the establishment o.
close relations between the government ana the
corporations This new law VIII under the zuise OF
a tax statute take away the corporations from
state control