Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-02-04

4
which the president wants to have ap
pointed win be largely Increased and
that ultimately it win have a standing
equal to that Of the interstate com
/ meTce commission.
The administration apparently has
felt that the PrOgressives Of the coun
/ try. led by Theodore Roosevelt, would
| say it had become a convert to their
views il t should recommend the es
tablishr mt Of such a board as Colo
mel + md other Progressive
| leadC nave :. ''a;ed from the first
It is l-.Jught he. hat the Democrats
believe they can -yeIop this Progress.
siye plan so slowly as to take away
whatever capital the Progressives
may try to make out of the admins.
tration's apparent conversion to one OF
their policies. Already the Progress
sives Of the country are saying that
President Wilson has begun to steal
some of their thunder.
Making the Guilt Personal
Today the headers in congress are
still comforting Oh the matter Of
strengthening antitrust legislation so
as 10 make it certain that guilt can
be made personal. When Theodore
Roosevelt was president OF the United
States he was credited with saying
that dozens of managers. superintend-
ents. head bookkeepers and other jun
Tors in big corporations could be put
into Jail for violation of the antitrust
laws, but that IL would be little less
than criminal to put the little fellows
in Jail ard to let the big fellows es-
cape
Evestigations by the attorney gen
erals department in the Roosevelt
and Taft days showed that the heads
OF great corporations which were be-
lieved 10 be conducting business in
violation of the law had so covered
up their personal tracks that they
could not be followed by the law and
reached by its hand One of the worst
features of the whole situation was
the willingness of the big men so TO
arrange things that the responsibility
should fall on their subordinates, VINO
would have to go to prison if any
body went
Now what the Democrats are trying
TO 10 is to make the law so strong
that there will be a certainty when
there are law violations that the big
fellows can be arrested, after assur-
ance that the evidence is right TO put
them behind the bars. Admittedly,
one of the hardest tasks which the
Democrats have is the framing of a
law that win produce this result. Time
and again the guilt of the big men has
been known positively and yet il has
not been susceptible OF proof
Colombian Treaty Not Liked.
Day by day the belief is grow
ing stronger in Washington that
the United States senate will refuse
to ratify the treaty with the Co
lombian government that the state
department has prepared containing
a provision for the payment to the
Colombians of S25,0O000O for their
loss of Panama and also containing
paragraph of apology from this gov
eminent for having recognized the In
dependence of Panama over night"
Hannis Taylor, who is acting as
counsel for the Colombian govern
ment, is urging that the United
States not only shall agree to pay into
the treasury of the South American
country the sum OF $50. 100000 for the
Panama strip, but shall further soothe
jfo tyorpdod faolfnuc ~, humble ami.
ogy for an act OF the Roosevelt adj
ministration. Endorsed later by the
Taft administration and which many
senators and representatives seem
fully to believe has been Endorsed by
a majority of red-blooded citizens of
the United States.
6alk Especially at Apology.
There are Republicans and Demo
Gratis IN the senate whose personal
and political relations with Theodore
Roosevelt are not warmed by the fires
CT affection, 1t will take lot Of
pleading. however, to get these men
to vote a gift of s25.000.000 to the
Colombian people as payment for
something which many Americans
think did not belong to them II can
De said that from all appearances the
suggestion OF an apology is more re-
pugnant to the majority of men in con-
gress. irrespective of party afilia-
lions than is the thought Of the pay
ment of money.
Why is the senate OF the United
States likely to refuse to apologize
in the name OF this country TO the
Colombians? There are plenty OF
Democrats in the senate who would
like TO join with Mr. Bryan and Mr..
Hannis Taylor in making an apology.
were it not for the fact that ever
since this government recognized the
independence OF Panama and thereby
offended the Colombians," Democrats
IN congress have been voting for leg
isiation based on the very act OF rec
ognition. The majority in congress
seemingly would make scores of its
members ridiculous If it should vote
TO give the Colombians cent and
they might stultify themselves II they
should vote to tender an apology.
Scared.