The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1914-01-29
PEACE TERMS FIRM |
GOVERNMENT Is NOT ENTERING
INTO COMPROMISE WITH OF.
Tending TRUSTS.
Attorney General Wants II Understood
That in Dealing With Corporations
His Department 10 Not Yield.
ing Any Just elaine.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
shington.-Antitrust legislation
is the great absorbing topic at pres
ent In the capital and from letters
which come in from the country 1t
seems to be holding the attention Of
business and professional men every
where. 1t is being discussed In news
paper correspondence daily, and IN
| this correspondence also 1t has been
holding place, because Of the manifest
interest and in some cases the appre-
hension which has been shown con-
corning it.
Close advisers to the president have
expressed 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 a 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 its right. 1t is becoming little evil
dent in Washington that some of the
Democratic leaders fear the change
from yirulent 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-
rations 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
eminent does not intend to surrender
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, it is said, that no
one shall think his department or the
administration is yielding one thing
which 1t 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 OBJ
tanned all things which 1t has demand
ed. The attorney general has let It
be known that 1t is his intention to
be guided by no other policy in any
case. Briefly, corporations to escape
prosecution must come to Washing
ton to agree to proposed terms"
In the case of the American Tele-
phone and Telegraph company direct
question was put to the attorney gen.
eral: "On what terms can we square
ourselyes?" 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
against the trusts. 1t is said that the
company officials sought a compro-
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.
Merely Enforcing the Law.
What happened in the telephone and
telegraph case has happened in the
New Haven railroad case. 1t is pos
sible 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.
Why Attorney General McReynolds
should take any particular credit to
himself for refusing to compromise
with corporations accused of breaking
the law does not appear. Perhaps he
simply wants to drive home TO the
people the knowledge that he is not
compromising. Under the Sherman
antitrust law compromise is impos-
sible If the law is enforced, and laws
are supposed to be enforced even II
law officers occasionally show an in.
clination to hold the contrary. There
probably is not big business con-
Germ in the land which does not know
whether or not it is breaking the law.
Since big business through its Off
Gals began to make advances to the
government, advances that were be-
gun as far back as early in the Roose-
welt administration, there has been
evidence of growing desire on the
part OF known lawbreakers to give
consideration to the spirit as well as
to the letter OF the statutes. The dy-
Mantle of public opinion has shaken
some men out of their sense of Sc