Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-04-25
NORTH DAkOTA's PRIMARY ELECTION VASE
ALESSON TO ALL DEMOCRATS.

There is in the North Dakota primary
result a political lesson that should be
needed by the democrats of Ohio and OF
the nation. 1t is one that should be so
deeply impressed upon them that they
will AVOID the certainly of defeat which
faces any party that will place in nomi-
nation for the presidency one who failed
to enforce the antitrust law when IN
a position to end the trust question.
An attorney of the corporations would
be delighted to nullify that law, but the
people will have none of that nor give
him an opportunity to repeat as presi-
dent his treatment of the law while at
torney general of the United States.
In LaFollette's Jour prior to the
primary his strong argument against
Colonel Roosevelt's candidacy was his
lack of energy in prosecution of violators
of that law when he was IN office and
possessed the power through the de.
partment of justice to do SO. Here we
have in the very first contest of the
republican party the voters of that party
choosing for their candidate the man
who is most radical in his views of en-
forcement of that antitrust law, who
condemns Colonel Roosevelt for much
moderation in his execution of its pro-
visions, and who, as a republican, finds
a most emphatic Endorsement of his
anti trust position by the voters, despite
the efforts of the friends of Colonel
Roosevelt and President Taft to exhibit
their vigorous efforts to enforce the
law.
Does any democrat in Ohio or in the
country believe that the democrats of
this state or the other states are any
less DESTROYS of the enforcement Of that
law than are the republicans of North
Dakota?
Senator Pomerene stated but lately
that the department OF justice of the
United States by vigorous enforcement
of that law, in his opinion, could have
PUT the trust question out of existence.
If the senator is right in this opinion
his indictment of the attorney general
who has served since the enactment
of that law is soundly based, and applies
to every man who presided over the de-.
partment of justice during that period.
Democrats know that the department
IF 111Stioo ,rlar rr1npo1 PNocaua1f,c oG
ministration was far more strenuous in
its attempts to enforce the antitrust law
than 1t was when presided over by a
democrat, whose name is now pressed
as a presidential candidate.
The people of the country know that
under President Taft's administration
suits have been numerous, indictment
many and convictions more than a few.
1t seems most absurd for democrats
in any state to think they can face the
voters successfully against either Taft,
Colonel Roosevelt or LaFollette If they
should name as their presidential candi-
date one who made a record in the de-
partment of justice upon this very law
and that record a failure to vigorously
enforce it, a failure to protect the in
terests of the people by such enforce
p ment,
The campaign would be decided
against such a candidate from tina very
moment of his nomination. 1t would
be decided against the democratic party
and against thousand of democrats,
candidates for Offices, who would be
buried under an avalanche of defeat
No man who considered the antitrust
law a dead letter can be elected presi'
dent of the United State this year.
Cincinnati Enquire.