The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-12-28
In Every Word for "Lawless
Big Business" and Lit
tie Violators.


NEW YORK. Dec. 21-senator
William E. Borah, of Idaho, at the
Young Republican Club last night,
made an address that breathed FIRE
in every word for "lawless big busl-
ness" and little vlolators of the law
as well.
He drew significant COMPARISON
between the McNamaras, the con-
tessed dynamiters. and the old
Standard oil and Tobacco COM
panies.
ITO save their worthless lives, :"
he said, referring to the dynamiters,
they entered pleas OF guilty, Insist
ling that they did 1t all for principle
and expect an astonished world to
accept their whining apologies.
There is another court record
which we WI in passing, notice
also. Bound up in many volumes
you will find the fun record of two
Of the late noted decisions. 1t is a
tale twice told. of seI1shness and
creed, extort!on and lawlessness.
The plea Of justification is not unlike
the plea oflthe planters of dyna-
mite, for although the acts are
clearly in violation OF law and the
rights Of the public. It is claimed
nevertheless, that it was all done IN
the interest of business growth and
Industrial progress.
This is the best plea and the only
plea that Tewentieth century bust
ness can furnish--all that could be
said by those 80 rarely gifted and
richly endeared with This worlds
goods and intellectual power, and
OF whom the government and hu-
manity have a right to expect so
much"
Respect and enforcement of the
law was one of the keynotes Of Sem
iator Borah's address. Obedience to
the law he said, was the bedrock on
which powerful governments are
built, and he believed this a time
when a political party could aford
to make 1t cardinal tenet of its
faith. In no other first rate nation.
he said, is law SO disregarded as in
the United States.
There is no place where life is
60 insecure against bomb or bullet
where criminal laws are so inef-
fectually enforced. where corrup-
ton Is SO little condemned in pub
lie opinion and where defiance of
law in the highest waiks,of business
life so generally prevails. To leavu
Law unenforced. to- cultivate dis
regard for its obligations Is but to
faliow the ground so that in after
years there may be one law for the
poor and another for the rich," said
Mr.. Borah.
He added that the Mcnamara
cases and the trust cases we're strong
and dncontroyerted evidence of what
Is fast becoming a national disease.
He said he had no sympathy with
the prosecution of business men who
erred unlnowihgly. @
81 refer alone" he said, TO that
class who sit in their offices with
trained lawyers and plan how they
may eyade the law and its penalties.
If man lies in wait for his adver-
sary and Stays him, unwarned, will
it be a defense for his lawyer to say
to the court that his client has al
ways had difficulty in distinguishing
between voluntary and Involuntary
mansiaughter?
at is not only of the things CON
demned by the rule OF. reason. but
by tile dictates of conscience and
common honesty that the public
complains. do not enter defense
OF our antitrust law; / am frank TO
say / doubt both its efficiency and
completeness. But 1t is the law,
and If half the energy and ingenu.
ity of our business men had been
put forth to perfect It, that has been
expended to successfully violate II
and make it worthless, We would
long ago have had law which
would protect all legitimate bust.
ness and make all business legiti-
niate.
81 sympathize sincerely with the
man who in HE hunger or HIS dis
appointment. in disbursement or
despair, thinks ne can better condl-
tions by taking law into his own