The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-05
That Is Why Harvester
Trust Suit Was
Dropped.
TAFT EXPLAINS
FAILURE TO ACT
Roosevelt Wanted to Pick His
Own Trusts to Prosecute, and
Now He Is Being Paid by
Campaign Support Of
Morgan's Former
Partner.
ESPECIAL TO The Timer Di,patcA.

Especial TO The Tirnes-Dt,pstcL
Baltimore. Nd. Nay 4.0in Inc CLOS
ing speech OF a fourseen-hour cam
pslsn trip through Maryland, President
TAFT attacked former Preaident Roose-
velt here tonight more vigorously than
ne has ar any time since the personal
note entered into the f4ht fo, tho nom
.nat1oh He declared that in Mr
RooseVelt's candidacy the country LIS
facing great crisis.
hr. Roosevelt" said the President.
says re should be elected because ha
says no Is a necessity--that the Amer
lean psop1e think thers is no on. els.
who can do this sob. The Job is appar-
entity, from what he says, to bring
apout condition OF social justice He
Goes not soy how he is going TO bring
1t about, and as 1t seems to change
gradually our present conditions. and
as 1T would take g. long time to affect
such tremendous reforms Wa must
therefore look forward to his view
tnat a lifetime may be necessary. with
n's power Of inducing the reaple to
support him. with the opportunity that
Presld ant has, and as ACTIVE as he is
in politicS to perpetua,e his power, he
becomes p rsal menace. And with his
little regard FOR constitutional reetric-
ton. mis- little regard fer due process os
law, i cannot but think that there Is
great crisis in the country's history
involved In the question whether he
snall be the nominee OF the Republican
party and be clacted to the pre-idency"
Adding another chapter 10 the his
tory of the harvester trust. tho P-es-
ident said Colonel Roosevelt had pre-
vented the prosecution Of this com
bine, although his Attorney General
Mr. Bonaparte. thought IL should be
prosecuted after George w. Perkins.
4
Welt Supporter, had asked that tho
%rsf 81 KY. taken irto tho oou.-ts
lie repeated In detail the record OF the
proceedings In this AFFAIR and under
took 70 prove that former Attorney
Gensral Bona parte was mistaken when
he said that ne tAlr TarD was present
at Cabinet meeting when ;he pro-
posed prosecution was discussed Tho
diary Of Commissioner OF CORPORATIONS
Smith, the President added, proved
that this matter was discussed and dis.
posed OF whila hs Was out of the coun-
try.
Pleaded, With smith.
Mr.. TAFT charged that ..ttorney- Con
eral SonapRrte was keen to prosecute
the harvester trust, but that Geo. W.
Perkins wait 10 Washington, land
pleaded with Herbert Knox Smith,
chief of the Bureau OF Corporations
not 10 bring the suit"
The result was" Mr. Taft con-
tinued, that MI Smith made a re-
port on September 81, TO Mr.. Roose-
Welt. in which he recommended that
no suit be brought until he had made
full investigation OF tho harvester
trust. Before this a report was made
by the assistant district attorney of
North Dakota and by the district at
torney or Minnesota, that there WA.
trust; that this trust had violated the
antitrust Law. On November :, tho
President directed Mr.. Smith TO notify
Mr.. Perkins At no prosecution would
be begun ~ after the investigation.
This settled me matter, because that
Is what Mr.. Perkins asked for.
Mr.. Roosevelt says that was
present at the Cabinet meeting in
which II was decided not to prosecute
As matter Of fact. / was not in the
soulTry between August and De-
cember. had been to the Philippines
and was on my way around the world
Mr.. Bonaparte says that the Cabinet
meeting took place in January. This
Is altogether . mistake. as II is shown
by Mr.. Smiths diary that the matter
WAS decided In November
Would Pick Own Trusts.
'''rhese are the circumstances tending
70 show and illustrate what Air. Roos.-
Welt means by good and bad trusts
lie means 10 introduce a benevolent
despotisT. In which he means to Ae-
,sct the trusts which ne thinks ought
to continue and smash those he thinks
ought not TO continue
at is one OF those pleasant srranse-
ments tor rlan who likes 10 exercise
arbitrary power, and is most ua.tul
in giving an iusirUmentality for the
maintenance of power that is hardly
20 pc eNcelled.
Il attempted to follow tho policies
OF Mr., Roosevelt as und erstood them
and 0r.s of these was the continued
prosecution Of the trusts which had
violated the law. He did not prose
cute the steel trust and ne did nor
prosecute the harvester trust. and we
know from tho showing of MIR Per
kns now WIN he did not prosecute
Mr.. Perkins is strong supporter or
Mr.. Roosevelt now and is contribut-
ing largely to his campaign Under
/; h. Sc conditions ! ask YOU via, Sir.
Roosevelt would say OF me il the no.
sltions were reversed. and how. with
his propeness to charge improper meth
obs 50 every one, he would haze made
Of this a corrup, burgsin between Mr.
Perkins and myself
Mr.. Taft defended the Standard oil
and tobacco decisions as effective. then
ontinued:
Mr., Rooseveit's assumption Of viz
tue is so intense that IT is sufficient
to purity any one when he becomes n
supporter of MI Roosevelt, even
though II be trust and even though
1t be a director OF a trust contributing
to his campaign.
"In other words. when the facts are
shown with reference TO his falling
to prosecute certain trusts, and with
reference to contributions from a III
rscting officer OF sueh trusts. 1T hardly
! Tcontlnued 81 SEVENTH pagay