The Cairo bulletin., 1912-02-20
LAW vlOLATORS
FEAR PRESIDENT
SAYS ATTY. GEN.
Aslsr1ey General Reviews IN Detail
'Ani.Trust Record d
Adninistralioa
SPEAKS AT MILWAUKEE,
Pfssis.ent Exeeutioa Il Executive
Department Ha. Never Failed
Says Speaker
SPEAKS AT MILWAUKEE,


General Wickerhsam. III an address
here tonight, declared that clan,nr
against the en- .orccment Of the Sher-
man antitrust law hal .een raised
by those Interested In the unfair
business methods and "who have read
in the active, vigilant prosecution OF
that law under Preslden. 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 exc
cutive that brings them to execu-
ton"
Reviewing in detail "the admin
istration's antitrust record" the At
torney General rose to this climax
In tribute to President Taft for his
courage in enforcing the law:
Taft Administration Wise
Under the wise, patriotic and ef-
fcient administration Of William
Howard Taft, this v'gilant and per-
sistent exertion of the executive de-
partmert In the enforcement Of this
law has never slackened nor failed,
n the people understand and approve
as they will and must, With what
sprsndid courage and singie-ndinded-
ness that great patriot has directed
the impartial enforcement OF this
law, they will continue him in his
high office to so far work out the
problems of squaring business prae-
tice, with the laws of the land as to
make It timpossible for the future the
recurrence Of those abuses which in
the past have threatened the sta
bility of our institutions through
the unchecked power of continued
wealth" .t.
The Attorney, General gave his
torieal sketch of the suits and prose-
cutions which have been brought un-
der the Sherman law since its enact
ment. t
Republicans After Trusts
The Republican platform of 1908,
he added had referred to the prose-
cution OF illegal trusts and monop-
olies as among the great accomplish
ments OF the Roosevelt administration
and declared that the Sherman law
had been q wholesome instrument
for good i'm the hands, Of a wise and
fearless administration. Mr.. Taft in
his speech Of acceptance of the presi-
Dental nomination, he continued,
had pledged himself to the enforce
ment of that law,
Discussing the question involved
In the civil and criminal suits be-
gun under President Taft, Mr.. Wick
ersham declared that "they all invol-
We some variety of the same offence,
namely the effort to secure and re-
tain control over business by methods
which are always unfair--sometime
unfair to 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 limited number of men
to control as nearly as may be an
entire Industry or the entire busi-
ness in particular part of the
country for their own benefit. and
to destroy that quality Of opportunity
In Others which is the birthright Of
every American. These were the
evils to meet which the Sherman law
enacted, and the enforcement Of that
law by the present administration
has been directed particularly again
st that sort of unfair dealing which.
when known and understood. Is con-
demned by all rightminded men, but
which, working in darkness, cloaked
under forms OF law and surrounded
with the mantle Of respectability. is
not SO readily understood.
Work For Merchant Marine
The Attorney General made an ar
gun1cnt for a restoration OF the
American merchant marine in his
reference to thesanti-trust which has
been brought against the Hamburg
American steamship company and
others In New York. involving the
question whether the United States
60. ~