The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-09-11
1904 NOT 1908.

80 ',;i 1904 NOT 1908.
Remembering it is 1904 when Roose-
welt was running for president, and
not to 1908 when Taft was the can
didate,' that all these revelations as
to trust money campaign funds re-
late. Not a single circumstance, not
a single charge, not single word of
it all refers to the national campaign
which brought in the administration
of William Howard Taft
All the allegations and evidence
just now brought forward by Senator
Penrose and Archibold regarding the
Standard Oil 100000 contribution in
volve Roosevelt himself, the means by
which he secured election and the in
ffuences under which his administra-
ton was shaped and conducted in re-
lation to trusts. The same is true, not
only with reference to the contribu-
ton and. the action of Standard Oil
the steel trust, the harvester trust and
the other big ones and to E. H. Har-
riman, George w. Perkins, James
Stillman, ]. Pierpont Morgan, Jacob
Schiff and the whole array of like
formidable actors in big business and
big finance, who at the outset of 1904
were distrustful of Roosevelt, but in
the campaign were all contributing
and working for him.
1t is matter of history that Roose-
velts administration did compare
lively little in the way of prosecuting
these trusts or applying the national
laws to the men conducting them. 1t
is history for instance, that when a
movement was started in the Roose-
welt administration to bring prosecu-
lions against the biggest group of all
the interests, the Morgan group, Geo.
w. Perkins, their political agent, d.
rectly and in writing threatened that
they would fight" if proceedings were
started against the harvester trust;
and that, at Roosevetl's order in writ
ing, proceedings were not started.
For another instance, it is history,
that in the case of the steel trust, an
other big item in the Morgan group
of interests, Roosevelt permitted it on
a memorable occasion to absorb it's
only serious rival. These are sample
facts of the Roosevelt record in the
administration which followed the
campaign of 1904 and by virtue of
which the Roosevelt administration
came in.
The Taft administration presents
a notable contrast, for it's whole
weight has from the first been put on
enforcing the antitrust laws. Taft
himself outlined in advance this very
work as special feature of his ad-
ministration, in his letter of accept
ance, in his inaugural address, etc. If
threats were made by the big inter-
ests that they would fight" if Taft did
so, as threats were made to Roosevelt,
Taft disregarded them. His admins
tration has gone on with industry and
effect to apply the law to the violators
of it, and to apply it to the very
trusts whose captains were leagued in
contributions and work for Roosevelt
four years before, and whom Roose-
welt during the ensuing term did moth
ing to provoke ito fight" even under
threat.
And those captains of trusts and in
dustry-1:wrere are they today: Not
for Taft. George w. Perkins, the Nor
gan. groups agent, is not merely the
treasurer, Lut the promoter of the
Roosevelt movement. Jacob Schiff, of
the Kuhn, Loeb, & Co. group, is open
ly for Wilson.
Some are for Roosevelt, some for
Wilson, openly or on the quiet; but
against. Taft. The actual work of ap-
plying the law which his administra-
ton has been steadily and effectively
carrying on, and Ho1sevelt's did net,
must be interrupted, must be broken.
The election of either Roosevelt or
Wilson would do this Wilson, how
ever disyi:ed co.!i not as practi-
cal matter organize his administra-
ton for long time to take up the
work as it would go forward under
Taft Its continuity would be broken.
The point is, and ought not to be