The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-05
OUT FOR TRUSTS
Col. Roosevelt Says the Two
Old Parties Are Wrong
I'm Demanding Rigid Enforce
ment Of the Sherman Law.

Oyster Bay. July 5.-"The platforms
of both the Republican and Democratic
parties call for rigid enforcement of the
antitrust law. They are wrong" so
! declared Theodore Roosevelt today
The former president said in his cam
paign he would attack both parties on
this score He intends to take the posi-
ton which he outlined in his Osawat-
emie, Kan, speech two years ago when
he said the big business enterprises
had come to stay and should be con-
trolled by means of close supervision
by the national government. To at
tempt to abolish them, he said, was
futile. Col. Roosevelt also denied a re-
port that he had offered the nominal
ton for vice presidency to Judge Ben
IL. Lindsey of Denver.
Last night it was Heney to whom I
had offered the. vice presidency" ne
said, today it is Judge Lindsey The
fact that have not offered the place
to any human being is utterly irrele-
want. If the convention dominates me,
Tor president 1t certainly won't wish co
nave me name the vice president. That
must be done by the people. The con-
Vention will decide''
They Don't Understand
Referring again to the trust prob
lem, colonel Roosevelt said the plat
forms of the Democrat and Republican
parties had failed to grasp the situa-
ton which confronts the country
The Sherman antitrust law was on
the statute books for years." he said,
and 1t was never enforced until be-
came president. I said in my mes
sages and speeches that the law was
wrong but that as long as it was a law
I would enforce it.
1T was one of the laws which was
never meant to be enforced rigidly and
if the Democrat or Republican parties
should go into power and attempt to
live up to their pledges it would work
great harm. If strictly enforced the
law would do much damage to unof-
Tending persons, such as farmers who
have found corporation association. 1t
illustrative control exercised through
the national government could the
problem be handled rightly"
As for the tariff Col. Roosevelt said
the Democratic party had gone on rec
ord in favor of free entry of the
necessities of life.
OF course the first person that such
policy would harm would be the farm
err he continued.
The Democratic party could do
only one of two things. 1t might wink
at its tariff plank and admit that it
was written for campaign purposes
only or it might attempt to enforce
1t, which would mean ruin to the
country
Free trade, he said, would be 50
ulSdStIouS that the country would soon
come back to the principle of protec-
ton. Should free trade be adopted he
said, it would be possible for the mon
eyed interests of this country to build
up great industries in China and Jap
an and take advantages of the cheap
labor there andEirnportTt the products
into this country to undersel domes-
tic goods Il ami not sure he con-
tinued, that the tariff is the chief
factor in the high cost of living. So
far as can see the articles which
have gone up in price most are butter,
eggs and meat. Butter and eggs of
course are not affected by the tariff.
In regard to meat, 1 think that it is
less the tariff than the trusts which
have caused high prices