The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-02
STATES HIS STAND
President Defines His Attitude
on "Big Business"
Deals at Length With Positions
of Roosevelt and Taft.

New York. April 2.-Presiden
| woodrow Wilson makes a declaration
of his attitude toward monopolies anG
indicates what is believed by many tC
| be the course the administration viii
| pursue to secure a possible remedy
for this condition by the terse but spe-
| cific statement, I'VE purpose to pre-
| vent private monopoly by law in his
fourth article on the New Freedom
| which appears in the current issue OF
| Worlds Work The article sub-head-
| ed -Benevolence or Justice" declares
| that Colonel Roosevelt attempted to
effect a benevolent partnership be-
| tween big business and the govern
ment.' The president declares that
under such a partnership the result
upon people would depend entirely
upon the benevolence of the contract
ing parties, whereas the people want
justice, not philanthropy.
Benevolence never developed a
man or nation he says. I'VE do
not want benevolent government.
We want a free and just government"
President Wilson deals at length
with the Roosevelt or third party
program, regarding the regulation of
trusts as outlined in the platform of
that party in the last presidential
election.
The president says in part:
The new party platform legalizes
monopolies- You cannot use mono
poles to serve a free people. The
very tolerant. The Roosevelt doctrine
admits that monopoly is inevitable.
Il absolutely protest being put into
the hands of trustees. I do not want
to live under a philanthropy. Shall
we try to get the grip of monopoly
away from our lives or shall we not?"
The phrase "the national admins
tration having for sixteen wears been
trusts indicates clearly the presi-
dents ideas about the administrations
of his two predecessors.
The articles, in part is as follows:
"Our purpose is the restoration of
freedom. We purpose to prevent pri-
vate monopoly by law. TO see to it that
the methods nv which monopo1ies
have been built ND are legally made
impossible. We design that the linn
itations on private enterprise shall be
removed so that the next generation
of youngsters as they come along will
not have to become nroteges of bene-
violent trusts bit will be free to go
about making their own lives what
the full cup. not of charity but of
liberty. the only wine that ever re-
fresh cd and renewed the spirit of
people
RooseveIt's Conception.
Mr.. Roosevelt's conception of gov
eminent is Mr.. Taft's onception. that
the presidency of the United States
is the presidency of a board of di-
rectors. I am willing to admit that if
the people of the United States cannot
get justice for themselves, then it is
high time that they join the third
party and get it from somebody else.
The justice proposed is very beautiful;
it is very attractive; there were planks
in that platform which stir all the
sympathies of the heart They pro-
But the question is, who is going to
do them? Through whose instru-
Are Americans ready to
ask the trusts to give us, in pity,
what we ought, in justice, to take.
THE third party says that the pres
ent system of our industry and trade |
has come to stay. Mind you, these
built up things, these |
things that can't maintain themselves
in the market without monopoly have |
come to stay and the only thing that |
the government can do, the only thing |
that the third party proposes should |
be done, is to set up commission to |
regulate them.
Don't you realize that that is |
blind alley? You can't find your way
to liberty that way.
'Shall we try to get the grip of
away from our lives or
shall we not? Shall we withhold our
hand and say monopoly is inevita BILE;
hat all that we can do is to regu-
late it? Have we come to a time
when the president of the United
president must doff his cap in the
presence of this high finance and say,
You are our inevitable master, but
We will see how we can make the best
If it,
Il don't care how benevolent the
master is going to be. I will not live
inder a master. That is not what
America was created for. America
vas created in order that every man
hould have the same chance as ev-
Try other man to exercise mastery
'ver his own fortune. If you will but
ee to it that the weak are protected,
will venture a wager with you that
here are some men in the United
states now weak, economically weak,
Who have brains enough to compete
With these gentlemen and who will
PRESENTLY come into the market and
tut these gentlemen on their mettle.
md the minute they come into the /
market there will be a bigger market
or labor and a different wage scale
or la Dor.
when I am fighting nonopolistic
ontrol, therefore, L am fighting for
he liberty of American industry.
We have a great program of gov ! {
rnmental assistance ahead of US in l
he cooperative life of the nation; | {
ut we dare not enter upon that pro- !
ram until we have freed the govern | {
lent. That is the point. Benevolence
ever duped a man or a nation. We
o not want a benevolent government |
ye want q free and a just govern
lent. Everyone of the great schemes
f social uplift which are now so =
luch debated by noble people among |
S is based, when rightly conceived,
pom justice, not upon benevolence-"
lnRgJMn RTTnANTTnAgo