The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-12-21
In Every Word for tLawless
Big Business and Lite
tie NioIators.

made an address that breathed nre
In every word for '.lawless big busi-
ness'' and little violatOrB OF the law
las wen.
He drew a Significant comparison
between the 8fGNamaras, the con-
fessed dynamfters. and the old
Standard OIL and Tobacco COM
ipanies.
To save their worthless lives
he said. referring to the dynamtters'
they entered pleas Of guilty insist
ing that they did 1t all for principle
and expect an astonfshed world to
accept their whining apologies.
There is another court record
which we viii In passing, notice
also. Bound up in many volumes
you will hnd the full record OF two
! Of the late noted decisions. 1t is a
tale twice told. OF selhshness ana
greed, extortlon and lawlessness'
The plea of Justification is not unlike
the plea of the planters of dyna-
mite, for although the acts are
clearly in violation of law and the
rights OF the public. 1t is claimed
nevertheless, that it was all done IN
the interest OF business growth ana
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 so rarely gifted ana
richly endeared with this worlds
goods and intellectual power, and
.Iof whom the government and hui
manity have a right to expect SO
much"
respect and enforcement of the
law was one of the kaynotes OF SEN
ator 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 AFFORD
to make it a 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
so insecure against bomb or bullet
where criminal laws are so inef-
fectuaIly enforced, where corrup-
ton is so little condemned IN pub
lie opinion and where defiance OF
, law IN the highest walks Of business
life SO generally prevails. To leave
law unenforced, to cultivate a dis
regard for its obligations is but to
fallow the ground so that in after
years there may be onaolaw for the
Door and another for the rich" said
Mr.. Borah.
He added that the Mcnamara
cases and the trust cases were strong
and uncontroverted evidence Of what
"a fast becoming a national disease.
He said he had no sympathy with
the prosecution OF business men VINO
erred unknowingly.
III refer alone he said, Ito that
class who sit in their Offices with
trained lawyers and plan how they
may evade the law and its penalties
If a man lies in wait for his adVer-
sary and Stays him. unwarned. VIII
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
manslaughter?
1. ut is not only OF the things con-
! demned by the rule OF reason but
by the dictates of conscience and
common honesty that the public
COMPLAINS. i do not enter defense
of our antitrust law; l am frank TO
say I doubt both it's efficiency and
completeness. But 1t Is the law
land IL half the energy and ingenu-
ity of our business men had been
nut forth to perfect it, that haslbeen
depended to successfully Violate 1t
and make it worthless, we would
Ilong ago have had a law which
would protect all Legitimate bust
ness and make all business legit-
mate.
81 sympathize sincerely with the
man who In his hunger or his dis
appointment, in encouragement or
despair, thinks he can better condi-
tions by taking law into his own
hands. In the hour in which order
shall be driven from its high place
IN. the temple Of liberty and In
which lawIessness and might SHAH
come in it's stead, in the fearful
struggle to follow. the first man TO
20 to the bottom to remain there
will be the man who tolls.
'IBut how shall we excuse or long
sympathize with the man of infiu-