The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-03-15
AZ Valley City.

AZ Valley City.
Valley City, N. D, March 15.-Sen-
ator LaFolette in the second OF two
speeches delivered here last night on
the eve OF the state presidential pref
erence primary, charged Roosevelt with
having passed by the greatest oppor-
tunity ever offered a president of the
United States; this opportunity. said
LaFolIette, was to have sent q strong,
forceful message to congress followed
by an appeal to the people IL neces-
sary, when the combinations OF CAPT
tai Of this country first became alarm.
ing. It Is the Office of the president,
he said, to urge ON congress such
legislation as he believes the best pub
lie interest demands. Il do not pro-
pose to assail any man on personal
grounds, but on great issues pending.
I do not deny the right for any man
to be a, candidate for any public Office,
but there is one great test to be ap-
piled to all candidates and that is the
record they have made in the past.
Not only present promises must be
considered, but how have they kept
their promises in the past
"And SO this fair record Of every
candidate shall be secured. They
should be analysed inteIligently and
carefully. You will search Roosevelt's
messages in vain for the strong urgent
message pointing out the changes
need to afford relief to the people in
changing the economic conditions that
were multiplying laws OF supply and de-
mand.
"Oh, what an opportunity 1t was for
the president and when that president
had the people OF the country back
of him and who SO appealed to their
imaginations.
Two or three years, three or four
times, the subject slightly to be touch
ed on during those seven years, and
then only on the eve Of the presiden-
tial election. He brought it to the
attention Of congress. Then It was
decided to pass it on to Taft"
In the second speech LaFollette
made his declaration when speaking
Of Roosevelt.
81 am not. going to make any per-
sonal attack on any man, either Roos-
evelt or Taft, but this is the time when
it is proper to judge them by their
records.
"If I had been president when these
great trusts were forming, when Nc.
Kinley and Roosevelt were president
I should have called the United States
district attorneys of the whole coun-
try to Washington and handed each
n a copy Of the Sherman antitrust
law. and / would have said, Go home
and commit that to memory, and
come back here at the same hour to-
morrow ... ....
'sThen when they came back / would
have said to them, Now you know
what this law means. Go out and do
your duty as prosecutors. If you don't
I will put you out and put in men who
will
zone slight touch Of the firm hand
of he government when these great
combinations were forming would have
restrained them. Now the problem is
more serious, more complicated, but
we have got to meet it and solve it
or hand It down to our children. We
can solve it with the ballots, perhaps
they could not"
LaFollette opened a two-day speak
ing trip through North Dakota here last
night by addressing the state normal
school where an audience filed the as
sembly hall. The second took place
in the auditorium. Previous to the
meetings he was met at the railroad
station by g. crowd Of several hundred
people and the band.
In opening the normal school ad-
dress, LaFollette said:
Recently in this state, I am told, /
have been described as a disabled
steam engine
well, / hope to demonstrate to you
my fire box Is all right, my drive
wheels strong, and my sand box isn't
empty"
He then launched into a vigorous
discussion Of the tariff and economic
conditions which he said resulted from
the tariff. ai