The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-05-09

|
and means to the same end. Mr..
Roosevelt also approved of this step.
Reviewing the passage of the Payne
law. the president then said:
Has Mr.. Roosevelt ever condemned
the Payne bill? Does he say he would
not have signed it if it had been pre-
sented to him under the conditions
that / had to meet? He has never
said that as far as | know, and the
New York platform Of 1870 adopted
by the convention of which he was
part, indorsed the Payne bill and ap-
proved its passage"
The president inquired If this was
square deal? He then reviewed
some of the progressive achievements
of his administration. and went over
the amendments to the interstate
commerce law In detail, pointing out
| in each instance that practically every
single objection Mr.. Roosevelt now
made to that law, he has himself
recommended, including the commerce
court
Repudiates Trust Record.
9.-Repudiates His Own Trust Rec
ord.-Stating that he has taken fire.
quent pleasure in upholding President
Roosevelt's prosecution Of illegal
trusts, the president said: Now I
find Mr.. Roosevelt coming the other
way, denOuncing the antitrust law
and denouncing prosecutions under it
| He says that the decree in the STAN
dard Oil case is ineffective. that the
price Of stock has gone up and that
| my administration is to be condemned
because the decree was confirmed by
the Supreme court The truth is that
| the decree as finally entered and en-
forced was drawn exactly as Mr..
| Roosevelt's encouragement in the bill
which by direction OF Mr.. Roosevelt he
filed against the Standard Oil COM
pany had asked that IT be drawn"
The president then declared that
both the decision against the Standard
Oil company and the Tobacco trust
had been more effective than Mr..
| Roosevelt would admit and that COM
petitive conditions had been restored
and better prices were now being
paid than ever before, to the tobacco
| growers and the producers Of crude
oil
10.-Who Represents the Interests
in This Contest?-In reply to the
| charge that he represents the inter-
ests in this contest, the president said
| the record of his administration af-
forded the best answer His long rec
ord of prosecutions, without fear or
favor, he said, must show to a fair.
minded public that this administration
| has no favoTites among the law.
| breakers, or those seeking special
privileges"
Menace to Business.
11.-A Menace to the Whole Busf-
ness Community-"One of the real
reasons why Mr. Roosevelt ought not
to be selected as a candidate of any
party is the natural distrust the whole
business community will have in re-
spect to the measures which Mr..
Roosevelt will propose in order to eff.
feet revolution in the interest of so
cial Justice which he advocates so
strongly and defines so vaguely" de-
clared the president Stating that Mr..
| Roosevelt's pronouncement with re-
spect to the control of business at first
met with favor among certain business
interests the president said the pro-
gram outlined by his Columbus speech
had so greatly alarmed business that
0oO,,Id op1y noptn1op1ofa tbo
to the security of all business by his
threatened undermining of our consti-
tutional government and his attack
upon the independence Of the judi
| ciary
'T affirm that the nomination of Mr..
Roosevelt would extend through the
business community feeling of such
| distrust as to the future as to inter-
fere with the good times which, If
| business is let alone and present con-
| dtions continue. will expand into the
most encouraging prosperity; and this
will bring happiness to wage earners.
who are more injuriously affected by
| disturbance of business than any 9TH
er members of the community"
President on Third Term.
In conclusion the president took up
the third term" issue. Quoting Mr..
would under no circumstances" be a
candidate again, the president said:
"If he had frankly announced that
he had changed his mind no one
would be disposed to hold him to
promise of that sort merely because
he had made 1t. The promise and his
treatment Of it only throw an inform
ing light on the value that ought to
be attached to any promise of this
kind he may make for the future The
important fact is that his declaration
was the statement of a principle es-
sential to the welfare of the republic" 4"
The president then reviewed Mr..
Roosevelt's various claims for support
on the ground of merit and concluded
that he had offered no substantial,
constructive remedy for any evil Of
which he complained. I'VE are left
to infer, therefore, that the job which
Mr. Roosevelt is to perform is one
that may take long time" said the
president, perhaps the rest of his
natural life. There is not the slight
est reason why, if he secures a third
term, and the limitation of the Wash
ington, Jefferson and Jackson tradi-
tion is broken down, he should not
have as many more terms as his
natural life will permit. If he is
necessary now to the government, why
not later?
The president then concluded by
saying; "One who so lightly regards
the constitutional principles, and espe-