The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1911-10-24
Washington News
BY c. H. Tavenner.


bravado. what single case of
combination in restraint of trade
which ought to be condemned
could not be reached under the
Supreme courts Interpretation
Of the Antitrust law in the
Standard Oil and Tobacco trust
cases.
There are few who care to
take issue with the President
The average man believes that
the trust could be reached, if
the government would set out in
good faith to reach them.
The vital issues is not whether
the trusts could be reached.
The real important question is:
Why is it that not a single gull
ty trust magnate has been sent
to Jail, or even called to the bar
of justice? The answer is that
the government does not send
trust magnates to jail or control
the trusts because the trusts con-
troll the standpat republican ma
chine, and for fourteen years
the standpat republican machine.
il. Hrognition of campaign fund
d donations and other favors, has
permitted special privilege to
name the man to be in charge of
the prosecuting machinery of
the government.
The present attorney general
is George Wickersham whose
last act before taking charge Of
the government prosecuting ma
chinery was TO draw down his
share of a handsome fee paid his
law firm by the sugar trust.
When movement was started
to bring about a Congressional
investigation of the sugar trust,
Mr.. Wickersham headed it off by
having President Taft send a
message to Congress advising
against the investigation on the
ground that it might give immu-
nifty TO the men higher up and
. otherwise embarrass the admin
istration. Although the trusts
trust practically admitted having
stolen over 50, 000,00 from the
government by returning it after
the crime was discovered not a
single one of the trust magnates
into whose"pockets the $1,000
600 would have gone had not the
theft been discovered, was called
to the bar of justice, much less
punished. Mr.. Wickersham per-
rhitted an underling secretary
and a few dock hands to alone
stand the vengeance of the law.
When American sugar interests
purchased vast tracts of rich
sugar lands in the Philippines in
violation of the law, Mr.. Wick
ersham again came to the rescue
with an opinion upholding the
sale.
Mr.. Wickersham is now posing
as the great trust buster. He
pretends that he will drive the
trusts out of business, and some
of the trusts pretend that they
take his threats seriously. But
the record of the attorney gener-
al is not one that gives the peo-
pie any reason to hope for en-
forcement Of the law against
criminal trusts or guilty trust
magnates. The first thing Mr..
Wickersham did upon taking
Office was to drop important suits
against members Of the beef
trust. His explanation was that
he didn't believe Che trust off
Gals meant" to do wrong.
The extent Of Wall Streets
great fear of Mr.. Wickersham az
a prosecutor Of trust inagnates is
indicated by the remark Of J. P
Morgan, who, when he wal
asked by a newspaper man wha
be thought Of the Attorney Gen
erals great antitrust speacI
which had been delivered NOR,
tbana week previous, replied
Il don'tthink anything about it
because ] havn't read it."
Official BuineS.
While President Taft is travel
ing over the country maxim.
political speeches, his pres