Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-06

the suit should be considered without
regard to AIR. Smiths investigation
Mr. Taft emphatically took the OPP
posite ground; and it is utterly inn
possible that he should now have
forgotten that he did thus, as a men,
Der of my cabinet, take the opposite
ground
of course as a member of my cab
met, who at that time | was sup
porting for the Presidency, he knew
and could not avoid knowing every
thing of any Importance that went
on. 1t is impossible to reconcile his
present position with any standard of
honorable conduct whether we accept
the view he then approved what he
believed to be wrong or whether we
accept the only alternative which is
that he now denies what he cannot
possibly help remembering. Moreover
he has been President for three years;
every document was in his possession
throughout these three years and if
he is right now, his three years de-
lay is inexcusable.
Il saw Mr.. Perkins in this matter
precisely as | saw Mr.. Morgan at the
time of beginning the Northern Securi-
ties suit and as l saw representatives
of the Standard Oil Trust again and
again at the time of beginning the
Standard Oil suit just as in the case
OF every large suit / saw any party in
terested who asked TO appear before
me. | believed then and believe now
that the course urged by Mr.. Smith
was the only one to take. Mr.. Smith
j some of the most efficient and high
minded officials in the public service
and While It was not necessary for me
to. and while as a matter of fact /
did not, make up my mind as to
whether he was correct in his belief
as TO what the investigation would
show, it was clear my duty was to
follow his recommendation and have
him make the investigation before any
suit was undertaken. MIR Taft, not
once merely, but again and again, ex-
pressed his complete aequisence in this
view.
Mr.. Taft says / have changed M
mind about the antitrust law. He
well knows that the position | take
now Is precisely the position | took
again and again in speeches and in
messages to Congress while WAS
President. He was then in my cabi-
net ard repeatedly expressed his APP
prevail Of what | thus said.
Mr.. Taft says / have said that the
antitrust law ought to be repealed
Mr. Taft well knows that this is not
true. | have always explicitly stated
that il ought to be kept on the books
and really enforced mot merely NOM
inaily enforced as had been Gone by
Mr. Taft in the Standard Oil and To-
bacco Trust cases. against all trusts
guilty of anti-social practices, but
have always said and now say by it.
self the antitrust law win never solve
the problem of dealing with the great
corporations and that to control the
great industrial interstate corporations
we should have a low akin to the pres
ent interstate commerce Iaw-but with.
out the mischievous Interstate COM
merce court
Mr., Taft says that I criticize him be-
cause he prosecuted the Standard Oil and
Tobacco Cos. to the supreme court and
got decisions there. On the contrary Mr..
Taft knows well that | criticized him.
not for having thus continued the prose
cution of the suits that I had begun. but
because after he had gotten these de-
eisions he then permitted the department
Of justice so to shape matters that the
result was complete notification of ali
the good results of his suit
Ellis conduct in this respect is quite
Incompatible with any sincere purpose
really TO enforce the antitrust law. AS
result of his action the stocks of the
in