New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-17
THE PUBLIC ENEMY"


We are sorry 10 see that Mr. Stimson,
the Republican candidate for Governor,
has entered into a defence of the public
enemy" We had thought better of Mr..
Stimson. 1t is impossible 10 discover
anything in mitigation of this unpatri-
otto conduct. though the motive for il is
not far to seek. The Republican candi-
date and the public enemy have been
associated in public affairs in the past.
When the public enemy" was President
of the United States he appointed Mr.
Stimson federal prosecutor in New York
City. In Office Mr.. Stimson disclosed
somewhat the same enmity to the public
for which his sponsor was distinguished.
He prosecuted with marked success the
rebating railroads and trusts. and put
more than one crooked business man in
iail. The public enemy" had the dan
gerous laws passed. and the public prose
cutor. Stimson, helped TO put them into
effect.
Perhaps it is this phase of the public
enemys" activities that Mr.. Dix had in
mind in his recent patriotic speech. n
which he said:
We have already had. to our cost ample
proof of his ability to disturb business.
destroy values and create a condition of
panic cOuntry-wid in its effects.
When the public enemy" became Pres
ident he found business existing III a
happy state of Arcadian simplicity, and
he set 10 work at once TO disturb it. The
railroads were operated in the natural
and proper belief. long accepted. that
they were 10 more affected with a public
interest than is the corner grocery store
Their managers felt, as they acknowl-
edged at the recent Portsmouth confer
ence. that they could run the railroads
Just as they would run their private
business. And such was the splendid
freedom then existing in the business
world that they did SO. They made one
rate TO one man and another TO another
and still another to a third. And the
man who got the lowest rate speedily
became the biggest man-toO big. in fact,
to be n mere individual. and so organ
lied himself into trust. And, indeed.
why shouldn't he? 1t was period OF
growth in business No one disturbed it.
Not the legislatures. certainly. The men
who ran the railroads just as If they
owned them ran the legislatures also
just as if they owned them, assisted by
the men who were turning themselves
into trusts through getting the lowest
rates from the railroads. 1t was happy
time We shall never see its like again
Appreciation money" was plentiful.
/ Values were not destroyed. Business was
not disturbed Then along came this
menace this opposite of discord and
discussion" this public enemy and up
set the order of the day, robbed might of
its right. filed the mob that follows him
with the delusiOn that the people, not
the interests. own the legislatures that
the people. moreover. had an interest in
the railroads and that the little fellows
must have as low freight rates as the
| big trusts.
But We cannot begin 10 tell all the
things this public enemy did to dis
turb business as it was then conducted.
Perhaps we had better quote what one
business man. Judge Gary, chairman of
the United States Steel Corporation, said
of the 'enemy's" work at the dinner Of
the Illinois Society Of New York in Feb
ruary, 1908:
! never deal in personalities. and / don't
believe in throwing stones; neither do l
! believe in too much praise. There are
questions under COnsidera ton at this time
Of the greatest Importance. ] want to
state that the policy of the present ad-
ministration, whether it be criticised or
praised, whether its methods be regarded
| as satisfactory or unsatisfactory, has had
a great and personal influence on your
president who happens to occupy a posi-
/ ton Of great responsibility. In making
! this personal application to myself, |
know that the reiteratiOn of the Oft
stated principles of the President of the
! United States has increased my feeling of
| responsibility toward the stockholders l
represent, toward our competitors, tow
| ard business men and toward the public,
and that our relations have been i'm
proved | don't hesitate to make this
confession According TO my belief. bust
ress is done on better basis and on a
higher plane because Of what l have re-
! ferred to.
An enemy" hath done this "Busi-
ness done on a higher plane" An aero
plane. we suppose. Destroy the de-
stroyer Beat StimsOn.