Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1910-10-07
'.Roosesclt.s Policies"

following: Sixteen years ago William
Jennings Bryan mildly criticised a GER
tain decision Of the supreme court
On Monday, theodore Roosevelt,
speaking at Denver, took occasion to
point 10 number of "unfortunate de-
clsions,' and to enter protest more
strenuous and more positive than any
critism that ever Bryan uttered.
Roosevelt, a little more radical and a
little less sound, has on this import
ant question landed exactly where
Bryan was a decade and half ago.
In his Denver speech, Roosevelt
took up the decision in the Knight
sugar trust case. OF the case the ex-
president said:
''In that the supreme court OF the
United States, under cover Of what
man whose interest is chiefly in sane
constructive stewardship can only call
highly technical legal subtlety,
handed down decision which rem
dered it exceeding difficult for the
nation effectively to control the use of
masses of corporate capital in inter
state business, as the nation obviously
was the sole power that could exercise
| this control Qor 1t was quite beyond
the power of any one state.) This was
really decision rendering it exceed
ingly difficult for the people to devise
any method of controlling and regula-
ing the business u.e of great capital in
interstate commerce. / was decis-
ion nomihally against national rights,
but really against popular rights"
Roosevelt was scarcely less caustie
in his eritism OF the New York bake
shop case. The decision in this case
declared unconstitutional the New
York law requiring bakeshops to
maintain hygienie conditions. After
showing that New York state alone
could deal with this problem, and that
the unhgienic conditions told against
the bakeshop workers rs well as a.
gainst the welfare of the general public
Roosevelt declared:
"Bur the supreme court of the
United States possessed, and unfort-
unately exercised, the negative power
OF not permitting the abuse to be re.
NEEDED. BY four vote they declared
the action of the state of New York
unconstitutional, because, fersooth,
man must not be deprived of his liber-
ty to work under unbygienic condit-
ions.
But If Roosevelt borrowed of BRYAN |
at Denver. he fairly gobbled him up
at Osawatomie, Kan.
In his Osawatomie speech, Roose. |
welt announced his platform under
which be promises to restore this ma
ton oil ours TO something of the gem
uine rosperity of pre-trust days. AS
the first and greatest plank Of that
platform Roosevelt announced:
Eliminate special interest from DO
litics.
so said Bryan as early as 1896, and |
the republican leaders denounced him |
as populist for saying it.
Roosevelts second plan demands
complete publicity of corporation
affairs,
A dozen years ago, Bryan made the
same demand.
Roosevelt insists loudly in his plat
form Tor government supervision of
the capitalization of public service and |
other corporations doing an interstate
business; for personal responsibility
for officers and directors of corporal
ions which break the law, for in
crease in the power OF the federal
bureau Of corp ratIons and the inter-
state commerce to control combinat-
ions IN industry. For these BRYAN
was on record even before Roosevelt
was governor of New York. Roose-
welt declared for publicity of campaign
contributions before as well as after
elections. Gle did not do 50 when. as q
candidate for president, he wrote The
Dear Hartman letter, hich bought
contribution Of quarter Of million
dollars) Two years pgo Bryan con-
tended for this very thing. bat the
ACKNOWLEDGMENT republican party
would not Iis'cn to the Suggestion.
A"6 so we might 20 on. through the
many planks OF the new Roosevelt
order
Roosevelt lays no ella N to he.rship
to the Bryan policies. he SIM v
takes them over bodily as his own.
San Francisco Star.