Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-02-03
PEACE TERMS FIRM
GOVERNMENT is NOT ENTERING
INTO COMPROMISE WITH OF
Tending TRUSTS.
so ASSERTS Mr.. M'REYNoLDs
attorney General Wants IT Understood
That in Dealing With Corporations
His Department Is Not Yield
ing Any Just Claims.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

ing Any just Claims,
BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Observation-Disclosures legislation.
/ ls the great absorbing topic at pres
ent in the capital and from letters
which come in from the country it
seems to be holding the attention OF
| business and professional men every
where. II is being discussed in news
paper correspondence daily, and in
| 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
corning 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 its 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-
| ratlons are to be allowed in any re-
| spect to continue to break the law.
No Compromise With Wrong.
Mr.. McReynolds apparently wants
| il definitely understood that the gov
eminent does not intend to surrender
thing for which 1t has commended. 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
| one shall think his department or the
administration Is yielding one thing
which it does not believe it 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 Ii
| be known that IL 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"
| III 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
| operations comply with the law
against the trusts. It is said that the
company officials sought a compro-
| IttSSrr DGtliS INV " give ONcl
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 ccepted in
I every detail and the telephone and
! telegraph people were not particularly
/ sour-faced over the surrender situa
/ zion.
What happened in the telephone and
| telegraph case has happened in the
! New Haven RAILROAD case. It 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,
Adopting Progressive Idea.
Some days before President Will
son completed his message on
antitrust legislation it became known
and was published throughout the
country that he intended to
recommend the creation Of an in
terstate business board TO lool, after
big commercial affairs in some
what the same manner as the inter
state commerce commission look:
after the affairs of the railroads. bu
| with powers more limited than those
given to the railroad supervising body
In these dispatches some time age
the exclusive information was giyeI
that President Wilson intended TO Dor
row a part of the plan of the new Pro
grsssive party intended to regulate
| business. 1t is believed in Washing
ton that there seemingly is basis fol
tho belief to be found In he talk o
| the Democratic leaders, that before
the end of the present congress il
March. 1915, the powers of the board
which the president wants TO have ap
pointed will be largely increased anC
that ultimately it will have standins
equal to that of the interstate com
merce commission
The administration apparently ha!
felt that the Progressives of the coun
| try, led by Theodore Roosevelt, woulC
say ii had become convert to thei
views 10 it should recommend the es
Enlistment of such "A board as Colo
mel Roosevelt and ozher Progressiv,
:.