The Calumet news., 1912-09-16
TAFT AND THE TRUSTS

OF Jurors TO find vardiets Opon which
men are likely 10 be sent 10 the peni-
tentiaIy for pursuing a course IN bust
ness competition which the ordinary
man did not yegard as immoral or
criminal before the passage Of the act.
Consistent Course i, Prosecution OF
the Law.
! thing | may affirm without contra b
dictiOn that the prosecution o. ali per-
sons reported 10 the Department oi
Justice 10 have violated the anti trust
law has been carried on In this adj
ministration without fear or favor, ana
that everyone who has violated u. no
matter how prominent or how great
his influence, has been broueht before
the bar Of the court either I'm civil ~
criminal suit TO answer the charge.
II Is the custom OF those who find II
to their political interest to 10 SO. To
sneer al, as innocuous. the DEGREES
against the American Tobacco compa-
my and the Standard on Company,
and the administration is condemned
In the Democratic platform for con-
senting 10 a compromise in the Stan
dard \0i case. There was no com
promise. The Standard oil decree was
entered by the circuit court. anu then
by the Supreme Court, on the pray er
of the government contained In the
original bin filed In a previous admin
! istration. TIE decree In the Toba 20
h.. q all al
sion and entered by the circuit court
consisting of four circuit judges as a
proper decree. and the government re
fused to appeal from IL because I did
not feel that IL had grounds upon
which TO base such an appeal. Both de-
crees ere working well. Both decreea
have introduced competition the one
/ into branches of the tobacco business
and the other into branches OF The oil
business They have not reintrodu"ed
ruinous competition, but they have af-
iected certain prices I'm such a way as
to show the presence of real competi~
tion. The division df the two trusts
by the decroes into several companies
was not expected to show immediate
, radical changes i'm the business. II may
take some years to show all the bene-
fits OF the dissolution, but the limita-
1 tions of the DEGREES i'm those two cases
are so specific as to make altogether
impossible a resumption of the old
combination against which the decrees
were entered. Even if experience shall
show tile decrees TO be Inadequate. full
opportunity in future litigation will be
afforded 10 supply the defects.
The contest has been long one. For
years the rule laid down I'm the statute
was ignored and laughed at, but the
power of courts of justice pursuing
quietly the law and enforcing II when
ever opportunity arose. has finally con-
Vinced the business public that the an
ti-trust law means something, and
that the policy of the administration
i'm enforcing ii means something. y
number df these combinations Illegal b
~ organized and maintained are nov
coming forward, admitting theii ille-
sality and seeking a decree of dissoiu-
ton injunction and settlement. They
policy. provided il be definitely under
stood that Il be .mpartially enforced
and that security shall attend compli-
ance with, the law. My belief is tina;
these DEGREES mark the beginning of a
new era i'm Industrial development;
that what the greet corporations of
the country now desire is not what
they manifestly did 20 years ago, TO
Wit. to obtain a monopoly In each bus
mess, but IL Is TO mairtain large
enough plant to secure the greatest
economy in production on the one
hand and to avoid the danger of he
threats of prosecution and dlsturbant 2
Of their business ON the other, IL VIII
he the work OF the highest s,ates
manship TO secure these ends. and the
Republican party. If given the power
will accomplish it,