Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1911-09-18
AMENDMENTS ILL-CONSIDERED
TAFT SAYS PROPOSALS HAVE
BEEN PREPARED WITHOUT
UNDERSTANDING OF LAW. r
IS A GUEST AT BREAKFAST
CHIEF EXECUTIVE REVIEWS HIS
NEWSPAPER EXPERIENCE
IN CINCINNATI.

Detroit, Mich, Sept. 1S.-President
Taft, at luncheon with the board of
commerce here today, made the first
of what may be termed the politi-
cal speeches of his six weeks tour of
the country. He took up the subject
OF Trusts" and clearly outlined
his views concerning them. He de-
Tended with vigor the decisions of
the United States supreme court in
the Standard Oil and Tobacco trust
cases and there was a distinct cam
paign note in Mr.. Taft's challenge
to his ancient political enemy, Will
liam Jennings Bryan, to point out
what particular contrast or restraint
of trade he would condemn which
would not be condemned within the
definition of the statutes as laid down
by Chief Justice White.
Mr. Taft added rather significantly
that persons who do not understand |
the decisions and really do not un-
derstand the law, have had a great
deal to say about them. 1t was not
fair to the court, he declared, to say |
that it had read the word reason !
able" into the antitrust statute.
Il am entirely opposed to the
amendment of the antitrust law"
said the president. ut is now valu-
able government asset and instru-
ment, tested and brought into bene-
ficial use by 20 years of litigation
and construction by the highest
court. Why should we imperil its
usefulness by experimental"
The outcry for amendments follow
ing the supreme courts decisions,
the president said, had resulted in
proposals prepared without a real
understanding of the law and he
added that while the agitation might
serve the purpose Of promoting "un-
reasonable and unreasoning discon'
tent" it certainly ought not to be
considered seriously
Mr.. aft referred to the fact that
Immediately after the trust decisions
were handed down by the supreme
court, Senator LaFollette spread OF
the public records a quotation from
one of the presidents message as be
ing at variance with the rule o
reason" laid down by the court. The
president asserted that hts views
as expressed in the message were il
exact accord with the decisions.
Mr.. Taft reached Detroit early &c
day after an all-night ride from Erie
Pa. He left his train in a downpour
but while breakfasting at the Detroi
club the clouds began to give wa.
and there was promise of suEsnIn
for the outdoor events on the pre-
gram.
A crowd of several hundred pei
sons gathered in the rain at the sta
tion and there was cheer at tn
presidents automobile whisked by
A. the breakfast, where the pres
dent was entertained by Milton A
McRae and so or more newspape
editors and proprietors, he spoke
briefly of his former connectio
with newspaper work in Cincinnati
Il am starting on long trip, ger
tlemen," said Mr.. Taft, "and l as
your prayers both for my ment;
and physical well being. This tril
/ may say. was not entered into wit
malice aforethought. Sometime
when l contemplate it, 1 hold nj
breath, but, being in, am goin
through with it."
Senator William Alden Smit
joined the presidents party tods
and will make most of the tri
through Michigan. Following brea
fast the president was taken
special trolley to Pontiac. where l
was scheduled to make brief a
dress before returning to the sta
fair grounds to assist i'll opening Il