The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1911-09-23
CRITICS ARE SCORED
BY PRESIDENT TAFT
Makes important Utterances
in Michigan Towns.
Nations Chief Opens State Fair In
Detroit and Talks 10 Board OF
Commeree-AIso Speaks al
Saginaw and Bay City.

At Detroit, Mich. Monday for the
first time on his trip President Taft
struck out into political issues, and
his listeners applauded mis- defiance
He twice challenged his critics TO
prove the soundress and sincerity OF
their attacks Upon him and the poll.
cies OF his administration.
In the first important political
spec n Of the trip made before the
Detroit board OF commerce he defed
William Jennings Bryan and the
critics OF the recent antitrust dc.
cisious of the supreme court to bring
forth a case of trade restraint which
should be suppressed which could not
be proven violation OF the law un
der those decisions. The challenge
was three times repeated and each
time cheered by the 500 business
men to whom he spoke.
Later, In ali address before a con.
yention of internal revenue officers,
he challenged the men who had
charged him with misuse or patronage
10 meet him In his proposal TO place
every local federal officer under siyil
service and SO wipe out patronage and
fits evils from the government service.
In his trust speech, he invited his
critics to go 70 the limits Of their
legal imagination TO formulate a case
OF harmful trade restraint which was
not a violation of the Sherman law as
interpreted by the supreme court In.
the Standard Oil and tobacco trust
cases
They checied him again and again
when he said II any one advocated
amendment of the law he must come
out with concrete case and give
facts that could be weighed and con.
sldered, and not content himself with
mere rhetoric and defamation
That the business OF tae country has
not yet reached the era OF regulated
monopoly and government control OF
prices" that II is still an age of free
competition" and that the power OF
the government can and Will maintain
this freedom under the final interpre-
tation Of the Sherman act, was the
stand taken by President Taft in re.
markable address on the trusts.
1--WE Gid get along with competition;
we can get along with It." said the
president 1--WE did get along without
monopoly: we can get along without
IL; and the business men OF this coun-
try must square themselves TO that
necessity Either that or we must pro
coed TO state socialism and vest the
government with power 10 run every
business"
In effect the speech was the admin
istrations Interpretation OF the Stan
dard OIL and Tobacco decisions and
the announcement OF its lire OF action
under them
This policy Is to be let well enough
alone" as evidenced by the following
statement of the president:
II am entirely opposed to an amend
mont OF the antitrust law II Is now
a valuable government asset and in
strument Tested and brought into
beneficial use by twenty years OF It'll.
cation and construction by the highest
court, why should we imperil its use
fulness by experiment."
In all Mr.. Taft was in the city for
ten hours. 1t was raining hard when
his train pulled in, but by the time
that the breakfast rendered him at
the Detroit club was over, the sun had
come out brightly and Taft weather"
was on for all cay. First they took
him over to Pontiac. some thirty miles
out " Detroit That was Congressman
Sammy Smiths share OF the day and
II made him perspire equal quantities
OF worry, Importance and happiness
The presidents first speech was at
the state fair grounds. The address
officially opened the fair. They
staged a pretty picture for his reccp-
tlon. About 100 school girls. running
down TO tots who had 10 squat on the
ground TO rest their little legs while
Mr.. Teft was talking. began song
about "Our Dear President" as Mr..
Taft appeared.
President Taft also delivered adj
dresses at Saginaw. Bay City, Sault
ste Marie. Grand Rapids. and other
cities during his trip through Michi-
gan.