Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-02-04
GOVERNMENT is NOT ENTERING
INTO COMPROMISE WITH OF
PENDING TRUSTS.
so ASSERTS Mr.. M'REYN0LDS
Attorney General Wants 1t Understood
That In Dealing With Corporations
His Department Is Not Yield
ing Any Just Claims.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

| enL IN the CdpiIdl anu lIOAH icttOiS
which come in from the country it
seems to be holding the attention of
| business and professional men every
where 1t is being discussed In news
! paper correspondence daily, and i'll
| this correspondence also it has been
! holding place, because of the manifest
| interest and In some cases the appre-
hension which has been shown con-
cerning it.
Close advisers to the president have
| expressed a pleased assent to the use
| Of the word peace which has appeared
so prominently recently in the head
! lines of Mr.. Wilson's antitrust plans.
| The Democrats, however, seem to be
| fearful lest the people may be led to
| believe that peace means compromise.
! Compromise is word Objectionable
| to Attorney General McReynolds, who
| has said that when a compromise is
| entered into each party to it gives up
! something for which it has cOntended
as it's right. 1t is becoming a little evil
dent in Washington that some of the
/ Democratic leaders fear the change
| from a virulent policy against big
business TO one less aggressive will
| lead men to suppose that the party has
weakened In its purpose to make the
| big corporations behave themselves.
| The Democrats explain that Mr.. Will
sons peaceful words of the last few
weeks, and their acquiescence in what
| the administration has said, should
| not be taken to mean that big corpo-
rati0ns are to be allowed in any re-
| spect to continue to break the law.
No Compromise With Wrong.
| Mr. McReynolds apparently wants
| 1t definitely understood that the gov
I eminent does not Intend to surrender
| a thing for which it has contended. He
| glad apparently that there is an OPP
| portunity to settle out of court many
OF the cases against the trusts, but
| he is determined, 1t is said, that no
| administration is yielding one thing
which it does not believe 1t is right
| to yield. 1t Is held by the department
OF Justice officials that in all of the
agreements with big corporations thus
| far reached the department has~-ob-
| tanned all things which it has demand
ed The attorney general has let it
be known that it is his intention to
be guided by no other policy in any
case, Briefly. corporations to escape
prosecution must come to Washing
ION TO agree to proposed terms.
In the case of the American Tele-
phone and Telegraph company direct
question Was put to the attorney gem
eral: con what terms can we square
ourselves" Mr.. McReynolds took a
long time thinking on this case and
then he told the officials exactly what
they would have to do to make their
operations comply with the law
against the trusts. 1t is said that the
company officials sought c0mpro-
mise, being unwilling to give over
certain profitable things which they
| thought under certain constructions
| might be considered to be within the
law Finally the terms fixed by the
attorney general were accepted in
every detail and the telephone and
| telegraph people were not particularly
sour-faced over the surrender situa-
ton.
What happened in the telephone and
telegraph case has happened In the
New Haven railroad case 1t is pos
stble OF course that in some OF the
details of the arrangement between
the government and the corporations
there may be found things which have
the appearance OF compromise from
the government end, but the depart
ment OF justice seemingly Is willing
to challenge anyone to produce ade-
quate proof that there has been any
giving where giving was not right
Adopting Progressive idea.
Sonie days before President VIII
son completed his message on
antitrust legislation it became known
and was published throughout the
country that he intended to
recon mend the creation of an In
terstate business board to look after
big commercial affairs in some
what the same hammer as the inter
state commerce commission looks
hltGf bu0 dlldlTS Vi lilo IdHIOt%Q5, Out
with powers more limited than those
given to the railroad supervising body.
In these dispatches some time ago
the exclusive information was given
that President Wilson intended to Dor
row q part of the plan of the new Pro
gressfYe party intended to regulate
bufiness. It is believed in Washing
ton that there seemingly is basis for
the belief to be found in the talk of
tbs Democratic leaders, that before
the end of the present congress in
March, 1915. the powers of the board
which the president wants to have ap-
pointed will be largely increased and
that ultimately it will have standing
equal to that of the interstate com
merce commission.
The administration apparently has
felt that the Progressives OF the coun-
try, led by Theodore Roosevelt, would