The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-09-22
TAFT TO DEFENSE
OF COURT RULINGS
Declares Department of Justice is In.
Vestigating All Corporations Sus-
pected of Defying Law.

Detroit, Mich, Sept 19-President
Taft yesterday plunged into the poll
tical phase of his long trip through the
west and delivered one of the set
speeches which may have a determin-
ing effect upon his future Mr.. Taft
chose the trusts" for his first speech
and outlined at length his position re
garding this issue. In a second speech
he answered the charge that he has
used patronage to further his own ends,
and challenged the men who had made
the chargfe to come forward and join
him in an extension of the civil serY-
ice practically to all of the appointive
offices under the government,
Mr.. Taft's free use Of the words, 4
challenge" gave a campaign ring to his
/ lutterances which seemed to delight his
= hearers. The president announced his
unqualified opposition to any amend
ment of the Sherman antitrust law de-
signed to overthrow the rule of rea-
son" laid down by the United States
supreme court in the Standard Oil and
tobacco trust cases, and challenged
William j. Bryan and all other critics
of the court to cite a restraint of trade
which they would condemn and which
would not be condemned under Mr.
Justice Whites definition of the law
Mr. Taft said the department of JUS
tice at Washington is conducting an
investigation of all corporations sus-
pected of operating in defiance of the
antitrust Law, and added that the
statute as interpreted by the supreme
court would be found sufficient to
cause the breaking up of any illegal
combinations. The president entered
into the defense of the supreme court
with more than usual yigor, and his
speech, although read from manu-.
script and devoid of oratorical effort
was frequently interrupted with ap-
plause.
"The trust speech came near the
close of the nine busy hours spent by
the president in and about Detroit
Wherever he went yesterday-in De
troit proper, at Pontiac and at the
state fair grounds-Mr. Taft was com
PEELED to make his way through dense
crowds. His welcome into Michigan
whicn is regarded as wayering on the
brink of insurgency, seemed to please
the president immensely, and he was in
a happy mood when he left at 4 80 p.
m. for Saginaw, where a half-hour
stop was made, and for Bay City, where
he spent the remainder of the evening
and dedicated the new armory
Mr. Taft will spend four days in
Michigan, swinging today up to Saulte
Ste. Marie. He was greeted here yes
terday by both Senators Smith and
Townsend. Governor Osborne, detain-
ed at Lansing, sent a warm message
of welcome
The presidents day was filled with
incidents. He arrived in a downpour
of rain, but while breakfasting at the
Detroit Club the clouds began to break
away and by the time he started for
Pontiac by special trolley train the sun
had come out and the skies were blue
UP to the hour of his final leave-taking
There were crowds at the station as
early as G:30 o'clock, and neither the
rain nor the police. who drew dead
line half block away, seemed to
dampen their enthusiasm.
At Pontiac the president was greet
cd by big throng, but it was at the
opening Of the state fair that he faced
the largest audierce In the midst of
a splendid agricultural display the
president spoke of the value of scien-
tifc farming, as he did at Syracuse
last Saturday
The five miles of streets leading
into Detroit from the fair grounds were
lined with people. and the president
was given noisy greeting as he pass
ed by.
1t was at the board of commerce
luncheon that President Taft took ~
the trust question The function, held
in an immense pavilion, was attended
by approximately 1900 business men
OF the city
Mr. Taft found them a most atten-
tive audience Mayor Thompson and
President McRae offered brief speeches
of welcome and introduction, referred
to President Taft's efforts for reciproc-
ity. which is heartily favored in De-
troit. but their enthusiasm and praise
did not swerye Mr.. Taft from his de-
termination to say nothing on that sub
ject until the Canadian elections are
completed next Thursday evening.