The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-02-21
PAYS TRIBUTE TO PRESIDENT
TAFT FOR ENFORCING THE
SHERMAN LAW.
GIVES SKETCH Of EVENTS
And Says That Those Threatened
With Loss OF Illicit Gain Seek to
Destroy the Statute and the Exec
utiVe

vi II W dlhf't w l9s' w W ''''
ney General Wickersham, in an ad-
dress here tonight. declared that clam
or against the enforcement of the
sherman antitrust law had been rails
ed by those interested in unfair busl-
ness methods ana who have read in
the active yigilant, prosecution of that
law under President Taft the doom Of
their practices, and who, threatened
with the loss OF Illicit gain, seek TO
destroy both the law that condemns
them and the executive that brings
them to execution
Reviewing in detail the admins
trations antitrust record the At
torney General rose to this cilmaN IN
tribute TO President Taft for his
course in enforcing the law:
Under the wise patriotic and et-
Howard Taft, this vigiant and persis
tent eXertion of the executive depart
ment in the enforcement of this law
has never slackened or failed. If the
people understand and approve, as
they will and must, with what splen-
did courage ad single mindedness that
great patriot has directed the Impair
tial enforcement OF this law, they
will continue him in his high office
to so far work out the problem OF
sQuaring business practice with the
laws of the land as to make mpossi-
Bile for the future the recurrence or
those abuses which in the past have
threatened the stability OF our insti-
tions through the unchecked power Of
continued wealth"
The Attorney General gave a histor-
ical sketch of the suits and prosecu-
tions which have been brought under
the Sherman law since its enact
ment
The republican platform Of 1908, he
added, had referred TO the prosecution
OF Illegal trusts and monopolies as
among the great accomplishments Of
the Roosevelt administration and de-
clared that the Sherman law had
been wholesome instrument for
good in the hands of a wise and fear
less administration Mr. Taft in his
speech of acceptance of the president
ial nomination, he continued. had
pledged himself to the enforcement OF
that law.
Discussing the questions involved
in the civil and criminal suits begun
under President Taft. Mr. Wicker
sham declared that "they all involve
some variety of the same offense,
namely the effort TO secure and re
tain control over business by methods
which are always unfair-sometimes
unfair 10 each other. always unfair
to outsiders and always unfair to the
public in general One and all Of
them involve the effort. more or less
subtle, more or less brutal. on the
part of a limited number of men TO
control as nearly as may be an entire
industry or the entire business in
particular part of the country for
their own benefit, and to destroy that
equality Of opportunity in others
which is the birthright of every Amer
lean. These We're the evils to meet
which the Sherman law was enacted,
and the enforcement of that law by
the present administration has been
particularly against that sort
of unfair dealing which, when known
and understood, is condemned by all
men, but which, working
in darkness. cloaked under forms OF
law and surrounded with the mantle
Of responsibility. is not so readily
The Attorney General made an ar
Eument for a restoration of the Amer.
lean merchant marine in his refer
CONTINUED on PAGE EIGHT