Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-12

fthe pending bill had been law ''he would
have entered into a stipulation with the
New Haven road that the roads proposed
| to be acquired were not directly and sub
stantially competitive; that upon such
stipulation judgment would have been
rendered by the court of commerce in &C
cordance with the stipulation, thereby
estopping the government forever from
making any claim that such acquisitions
were in violation of the Sherman anti
trust act
Description of Merger.
Asserting that Massachusetts, had found
its master in the New Haven company,
Mr.. La Toilette entered upon a detailed
statement of the steps by which that
company had acquired control of the Bos-
ton and Maine. a rival line, in defiance
to the antitrust law and in opposition to
the wishes of the people of Massachu-
sets, where most Of the state proceed
.ngs were conducted.
He characterized Charles S. Mellen of
that road as "Morgans man. and I'M
dertaking to show how Mr.. Mellen had
sought by various devices to bring about
the complete merger of the two roads
prior to the national administration Of
President Taft and the state administra-
ton of Gov. Draper. he strongly con-
trasted these administrations with those
preceding.
Mr.. La Toilette declared that every
proper effort had been made by the
Roosevelt administration to prosecute the
merger suit against the two companies.
and expressed horror over Attorney Cen
eral Understands prompt dismissal of
the case within three months after he
came into Office.
Denounced as "Bold Raid"
This bill is the boldest raid upon
public right in the form of legislation
upon this great subject fof railroad regu-
latlon) that the system has ever succeed
ed in forcing upon the serious considera-
ton on Congress" said Mr.. La Toilette in
the course of his remarks. Never be-
fore has any one undertaken to put
through Congress charter for the
commerce of this country such as is
carried in the devious language and hid
den purposes of this measure.
Never before has it been attempted,
with the support of the national al
ministration and Of the party organiza-
ton in Congress to legis1ate for special
privilege and against the public inter-
est and to fasten irrevocably upon
the commerce Of the country the public
burdens Of transportation charges to
pay interest and dividends upon all
the watered stocks and bonds which
unrestrained corporate greed has set
afloat in the financial channels OF this
country"
Replies to Chicago Speech.
Mr.. La Toilette referred to the Attorney
Generals recent speech in Chicago, in
which the latter asked all who call them
selves republicans to support the admin
iStration measures in Congress. Mr.. La
Toilette referred to the fact that the rail
road measure was drafted by the At
torney General and declared that that
official has given no public reason for it's
provisions.
He remarked that it is the duty of the
senators to investigate the provisions and
their effect carefully. Then he contin-
ued:
yet, if We pause to inquire; if we are
not ready, convinced beforehand, to vote
for and pass this legislation without in
vestigation of the conditions with which
1t deals. without any knowledge of it's
erect in application, without even being
informed of the reasons which controlled
in framing 1t, we are accused OF giving
aid and comfort to the enemy, and de-
nounced by the Attorney General as
traitors to the republican party, and
threatened with the displeasure of the
administration
Mr.. President. men who have grown
gray fighting the battles of the republic
can party are not obliged to have their
republicanism certified by an Attorney
General who, until recently, was known
to the public chiefly as attorney for the
big business and financial interests Of
New York. Nor will they be inundated
by him or his kind in their efforts to
bring the republican party in Congress
and in convention, as it still is among the
people. back to the republication Of Lin
coln-tO the service of public interests and
Of public interests alone"