Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1912-04-04

president Taft's administration. has
broken ali records for prosecutions
brought and won under the Sherman
antitrust law. without fear or favor
n has brought to the bar OF justice
corporations and persons engaging IN
illegal combinations in restraint OF
trade. the ultimate purpose OF eacn
combination being to create . monpp-
DIV and to raise the prices on us
products. In two years ana eleven
months OF his administration Prpei-I
dent Taft has caused to be brought
four more civil suits and fifteen more
criminal prosecutions than MT Roose.
vSlt brought in the seven and one
EhaIf 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 MS
last administration. kept bis pledge 20
the American people to uphold ana
maintain the policies OF his predeces.
sor in Furnishing the criminals ana
undesirable element in the big busi7
ness OF the country.
In the Republican national platform
OF 1908 reference was made to the
prosecution Of evil trusts and monop-
olies as one of the great accomplish
ments Of the Roosevelt administra-l
ton. and the platform declared that
the Sherman antitrust law had been
wholesome instrument for good IN
the hands Of wise and fearless
executive. In his sreech Of accent
ance Mr., Taft pledged himself to the
enforcement Of this law. How faith
fully he has kept this promise the rec.
ord of his administration shows.
Problems Confronting TAFT.
Stripped OF controversy as to the
exact meaning Of certain language Of
the Sherman antitrust act. the ques-
lions that had to be determined by
those in administrative authority and
those who iudicially determine their
acts. were. first, how effective the law
was to reach the great aggregations OF
| formerly competitive producers and
dealers, individual and corporate.
who. through inter-corporate stock
holding mergers, cancellations and
otherwise, had acquired so great =
| control over a particular line Of Indus
try az to enable them to dominate 4.
and to exclude or admit competition
40 they might choose upon their own
| terms.
Secondly to determine whether
that construction Of the Law was cor
rect which had been given to II by
some OF the judges OF the circuit
court N New York IN the Tobacco
ease and IN the opinions Of some Of
ffhe justices OF the, Supreme Court IN
/ okilef. cases to the aRect that any
combination, which IN any respect
/ operates to restrain to any degree .
pre- xlsting competition II interstate
commerce, was necessarily condemned
BY lave
II the three years Of the TAFT a.
\ mlnistration al Of the sixteen CAGES
/ left ponding BY the previous adminla-
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
Y Standard on case was argued early
I during the present adminintration.
! and after IN appeal. decided entirely
J n tavor Of the government The same
Was also true Of the tetacco cases
win ne ultimate result e he disinte-
i grafton Of that big trust into fourteen
separate ana alstinct corporations
This, Il isbelieved. YIN eHoctlvoly
erer6nf q continuance 81 TIE monopo
Iflsffe fnnaatans ronsf'nlne1 o.