The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1912-04-04
TAFT'S RECORD
AGAINST TRUSTS

antitrust law. without 1edf OF ld"o'
II has brought to the bar Of Justice
corporations and persons engaging N
illegal combinations In restraint OF
trade, the ultimate purpose OF each
combination being to create monop-
oily and to raise the prices on its
products. In two years and eleven
months of his administration Presi-
dent Taft has caused to be brought
four more civil suits and fifteen more
criminal prosecutions than Mr.. Roose.
welt brought in the seven and one
half years OF his administration.
Until Mr.. Taft became the president
the administration Of Mr. Roosevelt
held the record in both particulars.
Thus has President Taft. who was
Mr.. Roosevelt's right arm during his
last administration. kept his pledge 70
the American people to uphold and
maintain the policies OF his prede"es-
sor in Furnishing the criminals a'-'
undesirable element in the big bust.
ness of the country.
In the Republican national platform
VI IJUr TG1cIcuCo was maui W. w
prosecution Of evil trusts and monoo
olies as one of the great accomrlsh.
ments of the Roosevelt administra-
ton. and the platform declared 'h~t
the Sherman antitrust law had beer
a wholesome instrument for good IN
the hands Of a wise and fearle~~
executive. In his speech of accent.
ance Mr. Taft pledged himself to ~
enforcement of this law. How fait'
fully he has kept this promise the re-
ord Of his administration shows
Problems Confronting Taft.
Stripped of controversy as to ~
exact meaning of certain language -
the Sherman antitrust act the que
tions that had to be determined h.,
those In administrative authority ar
those who judicially determine thc''
acts, were frst. how effective the Law
was to reach the great aggregations o.
formerly competitive producers and
dealers, individual and corporate
who, through inter-corporate stoct
holding mergers. cancellations and
otherwise. had acquired SO great q
control over a particular line OF indus
try as to enable them to dominate II
and to exclude or admit competition
as they might choose upon their owr
terms
Secondly, to determine whether
that construction Of the law was cor.
rect which had been given to 1t hy
some of the Judges of the circui'
court In New York In the tobacco
case. and in the opinions Of some o.
the justices of the Supreme Court in
other cases TO the effect that. any
combination. which In any respect
operates to restrain to any degree a
rre-existing competition In interstate
commerce. was necessarily condemned
by law.
In the three years of the Taft ad
ministration all Of the sixteen cases
left pending by the previous admins
tration have been disposed OF except
two. which have been argued and sub.
mitted to the Supreme Court OF the
United States and are now awaiting
decision OF the remaining cases. the
Standard Oil case was argued early
during the present administration
and after an appeal. decided entirely
in favor Of the government. The same
was also true of the tobacco cases
with the ultimate result Of the disinte
grafton of that big trust into fourteen
separate and distinct corporations
This, II Is believed will effectively
rrevent a continuance Of the monopo
's''" conditions complained of.
During the Taft administration. up
February, 1912. twenty-five civi
iuits have been brought and forty
'riminal indictments found under the
sherman law. making in all sixty-twc
proceedings. As result there wer'
Afteen indictments. and eleven o.
hese involved eighty or more defe"
'ants; eight out Of twelve defendan'
we're convicted on one Indictment az
er trial by Jury and their convict'o'
confirmed by the court Of appeals. an
thirteen criminal prosecutions arr
still pending.
A brief review of the cases brough'
Nnder the antitrust law during t.
administration demonstrates clearn
Its value to the American people Il
their protection OF that equality Of op
portunity which Is declared by The
platform Of the Republican party to b.
the right of every citizen.
Reference to . few Of the anti-trus'
cases brought by the Taft administrn
tion give an excellent idea of tn,
hardships some Of these illegal coz
binations entail upon consumers. |,
the prosecution of case against
number of individuals who attempte
to corner all the free cotton remain
ing of the crop of 1908. II resulted in
raise in the price of that commodity
to the spinners. prevented some from
making any purchases. and was there
fore, restraining interstate commerce
In like manner the government took
cognizance of the pooling Of the wire