The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-04-09


President Taft's administration has
broken all records for prosecutions
brought and won under the. Sherman
antitrust law. Without fear or favor
it has brought to the bar Of justice cor
poratlons and persons engaging in lille
gal combinations in restraint Of trade,
the ultimate purpose Of each combina-
ton betngto create q monopoly and to
raise the prices on Its products IN
two years and eleven months OF his
administration Presfdent TAFT has
caused TO be brought four more civil
suits and fifteen more criminal prose
eutions chan Mr. Roosevelt brought in
the seven and ope-half years Of his I'D
mtn1stratioh. IA -. 80,
Until Mi: Taft became the president
the administration OF Mr.. Roosevelt
held the record In both particulars.
Thus has President Taft. who was Mr.
IrRooseyeles right arm during his last
administration, kept his pledge to the
American people to uphold and main
thin ttie policies OF his predecessor In
publishing the criminals and undesirg-
BILE element IN the big business OF the
country a las. -
flnthe Republican national platform
Of 1908 reference, was made TO THE
prosecution of evil trusts and monopo.
lies as one Of the great accomplish.
ments Of the Roosevelt administration.
and the platform declared that the
Sherman antitrust law had been a
wholesome instrument for good in the
hands OF a wise aud fearless executive
In his speech of acceptance Mr.. Taft
pledged himself to the enforcement Of
this law and has kept his promise.
Problems Confronting Taft.
Stripped of controversy as to tie
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 judiclally determine their
acts were, first. how effective the law
was, to reach the great aggregations
Of formerly competitive producers and
dealers. iihdSS Idual. and corporate, who,
through intercoFporate stockholding
mergers consol idations and otherwise,
had acquired 80 great control over
a particular line Of Industry as to en-,
able them, to dominate It and to. ex!.
eIude or admit competition as they.
might choose upon their own terms.
i Secondly, to determine whether that
construction Of the law was correct
which had been given to It by some Of
the judges Of the circuit court in New
York in the tobacco case and In the
opinions of some of the justices Of the
supreme court In. other cases to the
effect that any combination which In
any respect operated to restrain to any
degree, a pre-extsting competition in
Interstate commerce was necessarily
condemned by law.
In the three years Of the Taft ad.
minlstratIon all Of the sixteen cases
left pending by the previous adminis-
tratlon have been disposed of except
two, which have, been argued and sub
mltted to, the supreme court Of the
United States and are now awaiting
E'leclslon! OF the remaining cases the
Standard OH 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 dlsIn:
EtegPation Of that big trust into four
teen separate and, distinct corpora
lions This, It IS believed. win etfec.
lively prevent continuance OF the
t,nonopollstte conditions complained OF
Z ~ Taft Antitrust Record.
During the Taft administration up to
February. 1912. twenty-five civil suits
have been brought and forty criminal
indictments found under the Sherman
Law. making IN all sixty.two proceed:
ings. AS a result there were fifteen
indictments, and eleven of these in.
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