The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-29

BACK DOWN FOLLOWS

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2s.-Thsrs 10 I
a report here in official circles That
the plan OF settling out OF court cases
against the trusts. or, not 10 dodgs
the real word, TO compromise with tina
trusts. was forced by these comhina-
tons upon the president and the at
torney-general.
In plain Anglo saxon these trusts
said to the administrations III YOU
carry out your program OF general
assault on us we will plunge you and
the country into panic and beat your
personal political game"
The facts that the adherents OF
this theory have TO so on are these
When Phtlander Knox was attorney
general he made speech at Pittsburg
in which he invented. or showed, the
difference between good and bad, or
reasonable and unreasonable trusts.
When the supreme court. in the to-
hacco case, adopted MIR. Knox's view
| 1t was the subject OF remark at the
| White House.
| MIR. Knoxs idea Was TO let good
trusts alone and to go vigorously after
the bad trusts. His denunciation or
the beef trust before the supreme
court is regarded as the finest argu-
ment yet heard before that body Ia
excoristing these kind OF trusts which
extort money from the poorest OF
the people.
What Was Promised.
Mr. wickersham entered upon his
office with the announced idea Of
clearing the decks of all cases In the
| department Of justice In which he
thought he would not succeed In the
court. and the administration policy
| was trumpeted abroad that a general
war would be waged. with q raising
OF the black flag. and no quarter
iaay xasf- "A
Between that time and the recent
deliverance of MIR. Wickersham q
speech at Detroit. which is now the
gospel. the new policy was announced
OF arbitrating With the trusts. The
new plan is for the attorney general
and the defendant. guilty or other
wise and the circuit judge To meet
and arrange a petition which Viii
take the place OF a.bili Of Injunction
or an indictment, conviction or a jail
sentence.
1t is on this statement Of facts and
peculiar changes Of policies that the
critics Of the administration base their
theory that the trusts Nenturad 70 en-
gage the administration In pre-
,hminary skirmssh and threatened
ipanics and SUGGESTIONS Of pantcs It thu
policy OF discriminating trusts was TO
be persued.
Naturally the administration be-
laieved that reign of terror and
panic would defeat IL and that there
was a delightful middle road which
ieouto be followed aud 1t IL plain that
this road is being followed. They
claim that tho new policy proves tisa
industry of the trusts az guides in
political wisdom, They point to tina
fact that even an unauthorized state
ment that the steel trust was tn he
taken By the throat came near creating
a panic In Wall Street aud that this
is only sample OF what could ha
done among the trusts in case ihes
we're attacked earnestly and vigorous
~ in the circuit courts and not IN
the Star Chamber.
After the Apology"
1t is also pointed out hat the at
torneY general lost no time In maliine
a statement to the effect that he kne,
OF no inm ediate prosecution of ths
steel trust. The Street became cas-,
In steel stocks after the apology
In order to impress themselves more
distinctly and effectively on the I'd
mtnistration, the agents Of the trusts
who are largely the conssel for tn
corporations, are feeding the argumen
10 the administration that the countr,
Ia already face TO face with bushes
depression. and that for the Taft ad
ministration to enter on an enerGefi
antitrust campaign at this time woul'
seriously disturb business. Moreover
such a course on the part OF the an
ministratiou would according to "sal
business make the denomination an
reelection OF Mr. Taft impossible.
Whether or not this summary O
the situation be correct II Is discusses
seriously in Washington.