The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-05-16

lan go with a certainty OF having a
question decided, war will not disap.
pear, and think that any movement
in that direction, and this was a de-
cided step toward that end, is as pro-
gressive as any measure that has ever
been suggested to the American peO-
pie.
Bosses and the People.
But I come to another charge upon
which | wish to invoke your judg-
ment as to a fair deal. Mr.. Roose-
welt says that this is a contest be-
tween the bosses and the people, be-
tween the bosses and the rule of the
people. You would think from what
he said that we never had had a rule
of the people. Well, politics was not
in nearly so good a condition in the
time of Abraham Lincoln as they are
today. and yet we have had rule OF
the people in the time of Abraham
Lincoln, and we have had rule OF
the people in the time of William
Mckinley, and we have had rule OF
the people in the time of Theodore
Roosevelt. 1t is only when you strike
this poor last administration that the
rule of the people disappears, and
the reason is because | am the tool
of the interests and special privilege,
and that the bosses know who is to
get in office so that they can control
him.
Well, one of the things in respect
to which have not changed my opin-
ion of Mr.. Roosevelt is in his auda-
cious courage.
Controlled Railroad Rates.
| directed my attorney general to
bring suit which prevented a raising
of the rates of the railroads, until
congress could pass the last railroad
bill, which then made 1t. by law,
necessary that the interstate COM
merce commission should pass on
those rates. Was that in the interest
of the railroads? Was not that fight
ing the railroads, to whom | am sup
posed to be entirely subject?
Then. if there is thing that is true
about the present administration 1t is
that we have prosecuted trusts under
the antitrust law Cherever we found
them, without regard to who were in
the directorate, or whose toes were
stepped on. The fact is, that when
| was a member of Mr.. Roosevelt's
cabinet | understood that to be the
policy Of that administration, and |
went out and made q lot of speeches
upholding that administration on the
ground that that was it's policy, and
that the antitrust law ought to be en-
forced up >to the handle. And now
find Mr.. Roosevelt coming the other
way and denouncing the prosecution
of the trusts-the Standard Oil COM
pany and the Tobacco company. Bur
ley tobacco has never been so high.
You talk to the Kentucky farmers
and ask them whether they do not
approve the decree in the Tobacco
trust.
Trusts Prosecuted.
Now | come TO another part. There
we're two trusts that were not prose-
cuted in Theodore Roosevelts time,
one was the Steel trust and the other
was the Harvester trust. Now, I am
not criticising him for not prosecut-
ing them. | am only saying that in
respect to those two trusts | did not
follow the policy of Theodore Roose-
welt, and they were prosecuted
| Mr.. Perkins is one Of the chief con-
| tributors to Mr.. Roosevelt's present
| financial fund Now | want to ask
you what do you think Mr.. Roosevelt
would say Of me If had not prose
| cuted the Steel trust and the Har
vester trust and 1t appeared subse-
uuently that Mr.. Perkins was large
| contributor to a special fund expend-
| ed for my use? Well. what does he
| do in the face of that? He charges
me with being in the control Of spe-
cial interests, with those facts staring
him in the face. | don't infer from
those facts anything improper. On
the contrary, | don't believe there is
l lllllS DuI w say W
him he is so prolific in his suggestions
| of suspicion, and so easy in his
charges of improper motives, that for
him now, with the evidence that was
before the public, to charge me with
being an agent of the special inter
ests takes that audacious courage
that still admit him to have.
Mr.. Roosevelt said that the wise
tradition which limited to any person
two terms in the presidency he pro
posed to observe, and that he would
never accept another term. Well,
am not going to discuss that. Whether
he changed his mind or whether he
had that in mind l don't care, be
cause he has the right to take Il
back, but | object on the ground that
his nomination will he a violation ol
one of the safest traditions that w
have in our government, outside thC
constitution. for the preservation q