The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-10
Administration Turn 8
Face to Enemy and Is
Fighting.
BATTLE STARTED
BY WICKERSHAM
Attorney General Flags Presi-
dents Detractors and Snitcs
Insurgents-Hurls Treason"
at Those Who Have Hin
dered Advancement of
Republican Program.

NSpuUilldlL IlOSl dill
Chicago. ILL.,. April o.-In the most
aggressive defense that has ye. been
uttered for tho policies and admins.
tration of William n. Taft, Attorney
General Nickersham. at the Appomat-
tox celebration of the Hamilton Club
to-t.ight, flayed the Presidents de-
tractors: smote the Republican 1nsur-
gents hip and thigh. reviewed the acts
! of the first year of the administra-
ton and, declaring that every pledge
| made In the Republican platform OF
| 1908 had been fulfilled to the extent or
| the possible limits of executive action,
challenged in ringing tones What
other administration can point to the
accomplishment OF SO much in so short
a time?'
Speaking for HIS Chief.
/ 1t was the general feeling that the
/ Attorney General was speaking for his
chief he recalled the campaign
pledges one by one and pointed TO the
j executives action upon them after
taking office.
. Tho administrations determination to
enforce the Sherman law against
trusts and monopolies, he reiterated.
the tariff. he defended and declared
that as a revenue producer 1t had no
equal while its maximum and mini
mum provisions provided a powerful
weapon for the protection of Ameri-
: can commerce. Pointing to the treas
ury's statement of an estimated sur
, plus of more than s35.000,000 for the
, fiscal year ending June 80, 1911, the
Attorney General said 1t reflected
! economies which would reduce the an
, nual expenses OF government $4,000
900 and turn an estimated annual def
|, cit of si0o,oO0,0o0 into surplus of
ss5,00o0oo. while after-dinner orators
were eloquently discoussinS on tbs
subject.
! Every Republican must choose. the
Attorney General declared, whether or
. not he was with the Republican pasty
= and the President.
9O'BanCT.las?- :'atak-rustsa-ffl
. ..EIe that hath no stomach for the
e fight. let him depart" quoted Mt.
/ W7ickersham. in a shout which empha-
sized tho sentiment. THE time OF run
ming with the hares and the hounds is
= over Treason has ever consisted Nm
: giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
If any one wishes to Join the Demo-
9 cratic party let him do so; but let
: him not claim to be a Republican and
work in and out OF season to defeat
Republicans measures and to subVeft
the influence OF the Republican Pres
ident.'
Follows Sequence OF Events.
Arranging his argument to toiloW
the sequence of events, Mr. Wicker
sham began by saying that the pre-
4 vious administration had been charac-
I;terized by a determined and courage
GUS attack on abuses of privilege and
power, upon which h.d been reared
4 aggregations of capital whose exist
ence and unchecked growth throat
ened the stability of free institutions.
IA higher standard of business mo-
rality and obedience to law had been
set" declared the Attorney -General.
"but in the attainment of these ends
) the country had been shaken to its
foundations, and the work OF perfect
, ling the machinery by which those
! standards might be maintained. by
which. to use the language of President
] Taft, the law breakers might be
L promptly restrained and punished hut
which should operate with 'sulhelent
: accuracy and dispatch to interfere with
Legitimate business as little as pos
sibIe,' was, as the President pointed
out in his speech of acceptance. 70 oe
the chief function of MS admlnlseta-
ton"
III would be Il strained analogy the
Attorney General thought, to liken too
closely the task confronting the adj
minlstration OF President TAFT with the
work of reconstruction following the
Civil War.
Terms OHcrcd to Trusts.
.aThc terms which General Grant had
advised General Lee would be accent
able." he said. however. were as SIM
! nle'and conclusive as those which near-
u, a half century later President Taft
n,sorod Ia the managers of great trusts
and monopolies.
Tact has been In Office a little more
than a year. That 1t has accomplished
much In that time Is abundantly at
tested bv the volume OF criticism and
by the increasing vehemehce Oh ~
tacks upon it.
Mr.. Wickersham then Went on 10
review the Presidents acts, his recon-
mendations to Congress and MS euorts
4 #lto secure legislation promised In the
Republican platforms, The corporation
! tax, he said, was practical applica-
t,on Of tho provisions of tho party
nledre which declared for strengthen
,nr the law against trusts that its
rra, objects might be better obtained.
. II was a perfectly legitimate and ef
!, feotiye system OF taxation, lie said, by
: which Federal supervision over busi-
S ness OF corporations could be estap-
lished and tho knowledse oetainea
would be a long step toward that
t supervisory control OF corporations
which might prevent further abuses
i of power.
people who had Tor years been
!. clamoring for greater publicity in tha
. affairs OF corporations and for govern
$ mont supervision became highly m
: dignant when they found THAI thetrs
/ own particular corporations were res
o ouired To make returns rs Well as
: their neighbor's. What they wanteti
: was publicity for others and not for
: themselyes' he exclaimed,
The Attorney General declared that
!. tho work OF the tariff commission II
= mestine the appreciation II deserves,
= ana snid II provided the hest and most