The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-05-16
Tn. Taft fights
MEAN Attacks
SHOWS HOW ROOSEVELT MIS-
QUOTES, MIsREPREsENTS AND
PERSONALLY ISLANDERS HIM.
7. R. TEACHES CLASS HATRED
Is a Serious Menace to Constitutions!
Government Because of mis- Power
With People and Disregard for
Courts and Constitution.

said:
The truth about the Harvester
Trust is that Mr.. Bonaparte thought
it ought 10 be prosecuted, Mr.. George
w. Perkins, who was a director in
the Harvester Trust then a director
in the Steel Trust and also member
of the firm of Morgan Co., came over
to Washington and pleaded with Mr.
Herbert Knox Smith, Of the Bureau
of Corporations, not to bring the SUIT,
and induced Mr.. Smith to make a re-
port to Mr.. Roosevelt in which he set
forth the fact that the Steel Trust
. and the Harvester Trust and the
other Morgan interests had attempted
to carry out Mr.. ROosevelts idea OF
publicity, and, therefore, they ought
not to be subjected to prosecution
under the antitrust law, even though
they were technically guilty, threaten
ing that if they were prosecuted they
would fight the Administration; would
give them no more access to their
books, and would conduct themselves
in opposition to the Administration.
The result was that Mr.. Smith
made report on the 21st OF Septem-
Der to Mr. Roosevelt in which he de-
tailed this conversation and recon-
mended that no suit be brought until
he had made a full Investigation of
the Harvester Trust
The Harvester Trust.
Before this a report was made by
the Assistant District Attorney Of
North Dakota and by the District At
torney Of Minnesota that there was
ground for prosecuting the Harvester
Trust; that this trust had ViOl&a~d the
antitrust law. Between September
q and the 1st of November the mat
ter was under consideration, and on
the 7th of November the president di-
rected Mr. Herbert Knox Smith to no.
tify Mr. Perkins that no prosecution
would be begun until after the inVes-
tigation. That settled the matter be-
cause that was what Mr., Perkins
asked for"
Nov, Mr.. Roosevelt says that
was present in the Cabinet meeting
in which it was decided not to prose
cute the trust until after the inVesti-
cation. AS a matter of fact, | was
not in the country between August
and December.
81 had been to the Philippines and
was on my way around th2 world. Mr.
Bonaparte says that the Cabinet meet
ing took place in January. This is
altogether a mistake, as it is shown
by Mr.. Smiths diary that the matter
was decided in November. Discus
sions, therefore, could net have been
had with a view to deciding anything,
because the decision already had been
made, and Mr. Perkins had been
notified that his application had been
granted
Good Roosevelt Trusts.
These are the circumstances tend
ing to show and illustrate what Mr..
Roosevelt means by good and bad
trusts.
He means to introduce a benevo,
lent despotism in which he means to
select the trusts which he thinks
ought to continue and smash those
he thinks ought not to continue, and
as he has said that antitrust law
ought to be repealed and supervisory
laws passed he leaves no guide by
which to determine those trusts which
are violating the law and those which
are not.
1T is one of those pleasant arrange
ments for a man who likes to eXer
else arbitrary power and is most use,
full in giving an instrumentality for
the maintenance of power that is
hardly to be eXcelled.
Il am not attacking Mr.. Roosevelt
as Influenced by improper motives in
his attitude toward the trusts | am
only pointing out that, in view of his
attitude toward the trusts, in view of
his having favored trusts that he
thinks are good trusts and ought to
be encouraged, one of whose directors
aided him in his campaign and con.
tributed largely to his funds, he is in
very weak position to charge me
with being under the control of the
interests and being the candidate of
special privilege and being supported
by all who are against the people.
His Vcarious Virtue.
'Mr. Rooseyelt's assumption of vir.
tue is so intense that it is sufficient
to purify any one when he becomes
4 supporter of Mr. Roosevelt, even
though it be trust, and even though
it be a director of trust contributing
to his campaign.
In other words, when the facts are
shown with reference to his wanting
to prosecute certain trusts, and with
reference to contributions from a di
recting officer of such trusts, it hard
ly lies in his mouth, as a matter oi
the square deal, to charge me with
being controlled by special interests
and privilege when the record of my
administration shows a prosecution Of
all the trusts without regard to their
directors, and without regard to the
influences that control them.
The prosecutions of this admins
ttdLIOA sHAC -.seG o~.~-y e. ---- ....
tions OF the statutes. The c&..yia..
that has been made of my adm. lt2tra.
tion is that have been too th1reusl
in the prosecution of trusts. Certain.
ly, / have exempted none on accoun.
of the pleas of their directors, and
there are no contributors that | know
OF who can point to any immunity
from prosecution in my administra
tion
"As to bosses and my association
with them and his association.
"As to the Lorimer case and his