The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1912-11-01
TAFT AND THE TRUSTS
RECORD OF HIS ADMINISTRATION
SHOWS THAT THE LAW
WAS ENFORCED.
WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOR
President Taft Did Not Listen to Per.
sonaI Appeals from Trust Mag
mates and Then Protect Them
From Prosecution.

During the seven and one-half years
OF the Roosevelt administration A
proceedings were brought under the
antitrust LAWS civil suits, 25 Grim
inal indictments and 1 proceeding by
seizure OF property. Sixteen Of these
proceedings were still pending when
the Roosevelt administration closed.
During the three years of the Taft
administration the left over cases
were disposed Of and 62 proceedings
% civil suits and 40 criminal indict-
ments-instituted all but 16 of which
have been concluded
When the department of justice, un,
der the Roosevelt administration, was
about to begin an action to dissolve
the Harvester Trust, Geo. w. Perkins
made a personal appeal to the presi-
dent and the suit was not brought,
the reason given by Mr. Roosevelt in
a letter being that it would "antagon-
lie powerful interests that are friend
ly to the administration" The atti-
tude Of Mr.. Perkins since that time
shows that the powerful interests"
were not antagoniZed.
One of the actions brought under
the Taft administration involved Mr..
Dan Hanna Word came to the presi-
dent that if the action could be dis
missed his chances Of carrying the
Ohio primaries would be much en-
HANGED. The action was not dismiss
ed. Mr.. Hanna paid his fine-and the
evidence shows that he contributed
$177 900 to the Roosevelt primary cam
paign fund, while his three newspap-
pers have been bitter and unsparing
In their attacks upon Taft.
In 1904 J. p. Morgan, II. c. Frick,
II. H. Rogers, E. II. Hartman, G. w.
Perkins, G. NJ. Depew and George
Gould, all Of them trust magnates,
contributed each 100000 or more to
Mr.. RoCsevelt's campaign fund. Two
of them are dead, but Of the five liv-
ing not one is helping to pay the ex-
year.
President Taft's rigid enforcement
Of the antitrust law has not only
shut the purses Of the big interests
against him, but has brought upon
him the active antagonism Of the men
who control them. Ought 1t not to
bring to him the support of the plain
people who want the law enforced?
And In the light of the record what
objectionable Misrepresentation, what
gross SANDER 1t is, to charge that
President Taft has gone over to the
interests" Did he go over to the in
terests when he enjoined the rail-
roads from advancing freight rates
all over the country, saving shippers
scores of million of dollars? Did he
go over to the interests when he
forced the corporation tax provision
into the tariff law from which the
government is now receiving 5000
600 to S3O,000,000 annually? Did he
go over to the interests when he In
stigated a suit to dissolve the com
bination between the Steel Trust and
the Tennessee Coal and Iron company
which his predecessor had expressly
authorized and which had paid the
promised s100,O00,000? Did he go
over to the interests when he insti.
tuted move suits under the antitrust
law in T. &c years than his predeces-
sor had done in seven and one-half
years?
Isn't it nearly time we we're giving
a square deal to that square man who
sits in the white house? Just because
he has refused to advertise himself,
| Just because he has not had trumpets
sounded before him whenever he did
something for the people, shall we let
his enemies destroy him, the enemies
he has made because he was standing
by our interests instead of doing the
/ Kidding of thoca whose interests were