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SEPTEMBER 22, 1911
The Commoner.
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WICKERSHAM AKD THE TRUSTS
Does the Administration Wish to Destroy Them or Merely Make Them Subservient
to the Party In Power?The Attorney-General's Record in the Case
The World is on the right track in
exposing the dilatory prosecution of
the heef trust. This is but part of
a larger policy which is being applied
to all the trusts. Ostensibly it is a
policy to reform the trusts rather
than to destroy them. The attorney
general himself is an advance agent
of federal incorporation and regula
tion, the path of which is being pre
pared by his present policy.
The so-called enforcement of the
Sherman law is a pretense and a
means to other ends, to ends desired
by the more prominent trusts and by
the administration, whose duty be
fore the law and under the decisions
is to destroy them. A change of form
and not of substance is being offered
by the trusts andUapparently accepted
by the administration. What is actu
ally taking place under the laTw is the
submission of the trusts to the super
vision and regulation of the federal
executive, the subservience of the
organized business of the country to
the interests of the party and faction
in power, to a government of men
and not of law. This condition once
created is to be made permanent by
federal incorporation and regulation
under specific authority of law, if
obtainable.
This policy involves a betrayal of
the public will. Back of it perhaps
lies an honest if selfish opinion that
the public good requires great com
binations and a, strong government.
Though it be cried from the house
tops in the name of popular rights,
it is the plea' of the special interests
for their Balvation and permanency,
a plea to change the basic facts of
American society and government.
Having corrupted the smaller agen
cies of American government, ob
tained frgm the states effectual char
ters of monopoly under which they
have combined and grown strong,
they feel able to corrupt and control
the national government, and to that
end desire the. centralization of
power where it can bo most effectu
ally exercised for their protection.
Mr. Wickersham is on record as
conceding the fact that the monopoly
of today is the creation of the state
corporation laws; that monopoly is
always tho creature of government,
of special privilege and protection.
He Is now on record, in effect, as
favoring that protection by the
federal government under a regula
tion extending, as ho says, possibly
to prices and, as it must follow, to
wages. And all the time he knows,
though he has repeatedly Ignored it,
that monopoly can be destroyed by a
federal law compelling a reform of
tho state corporation laws. Ho
knows that, such a law has been
proposed and introduced in tho
senate. And ho knows that it
is constitutional and efficient, that
it has respectable backing. It
has been repeatedly called to his at
tention, yet he privately evades it and
publicly ignores It, while he preaches
the inevitable necessity of the trusts
and of their regulation by a federal
bureau.
I refer of course to the Williams
bill, introduced by John Sharp Wil
liams at the laBt session, which pro
vides that no corporation shall be
permitted to engage in interstate
commerce unless in its charter and
governing laws it conforms to pre
scribed conditions of capitalization,
organization and management. The
conditions named make the creation
of a monopoly practically impossible,
its detection easy and its punishment
severe. It strikes at the source as
recognized by Mr. Wickersham " and
removes the cause of all tho pre
tended difficulty in eradicating mo
nopoly. A word from Mr. Wicker
sham as to this law will be timely,
but it will never be extracted except
by a crowbar or, as his office has
stated, unless requested by congress.
Robert R. Reed, in New York
World.
HAlSviOJTlS TOO OLD
The average age of presidents at
inauguration has been only 53, and
of the three elected who were more
than 64, two died within one year.
Governor Wilson will be 56 in 1913
and Governor Harmon 67, so that
at- the beginning of the next presi
dential term Harmon will be three
years older than Wilson would be
after serving eight years as presi
dent. President Taft is now only 55
years of age. Certainly -Harmon's
age is" a great objection to his nomi
nation for the presidency. Cleburne
Dally Enterprise.
It is certainly an exposition of good
judgment for voters, in making a
selection for presidential timber, to
seriously consider age along with
ability. - Young and active men of
today have more power and executive
ability than those of more mature
years. In the foregoing case Wilson
has Harmon "bested" by eleven
years, practically a political life
time. Cleburne (Tex.) Chronicle.
HEAITH CONSERVATION
Dayton, O., Sept. 19, 1911. What
promises to be a noteworthy develop
ment in the health conservation
movement in this country is the de
cision of the public health depart
ment of the General Federation of
Women's clubs to aBk that all fede
rated clubs units in a common
month-by-month campaign of study
and work, and to invite all other
public-spirited women's organiza
tions to join in the same co-operative
movement. Tho chairman, Mrs.
S. S. Crockett, from the headquarters
in Nashville, announces nine topics
for study and "talk," and nine "cam
paigns of education" to be handled
starting with October next. The
selected topics are as follows:
October, Community Health,
"Know Your City" Campaign; No
vember, Social Hygiene, Sex Educa
tion in Home and School; December,
Tuberculosis, Ventilation and Fresh
Air; January, Mouth Hygiene, Tooth
Inspection Day; February, Clean
Food, How and Where to Find It;
March, School Hygiene, Medical In
spection; April, Conservation of
Vision, Prevention of Blindness;
May, Infant Mortality, "Don't Kill
Your Baby"; June, Food Sanitation,
Needless Summer Dangers.
In advance of every month cam
paign plans and detailed program
outlines will be announced. Every
woman everywhere will be urged to
take part by personally giving a little
attention to the topic for tho month.
To get any considerable portion of
the women of the land to "think on
these things" month after month will
be in itself a very real achievement.
More than this it is hoped that wo
men's club and organizations of
many types will avail themselves of
the suggested topics and tho helps
to be supplied without expense. Any
organization and any individual may
do just as much as seems practicable
along the lines of study and activity
to bo outlined. Thoao wishing
special information may doubtless
address tho general chairman, Mrs.
S. S. Crockett, at Nashville.
E. G. ROUTZAHN.
MR. TAFT'S VETO POLICY
Mr. Taft's blunder is indefensible,
almost incredible. We say this more
in sorrow than in anger, for it is
beBt for the country that both can
didates for president in 1912 should
be excellent men who represent
sound and truly progressive prin
ciples. For political reasons of his
own Mr. Taft has deliberately chosen
to cast his fortunes with tho non
progressive elements of his party,
arraying himself In equal hostility
to progressive democracy and its
natural ally insurgent republican
ism. Mr. Taft's own conduct gives
added importance to this democratic
rehabilitation in its relation to tho
public welfare.
Mr. Taft's veto policy makes tariff
reform and tariff reduction tho burn
ing isauo of the 1912 campaign. It
makes a coalition between tho demo
crats and tho insurgent republicans
not only logical but inevitable if tho
insurgents are to retain the flimsiest
threads of political consistency and
conscience. New York World.
' FIRST-RATK RECORD
Judge "You aro charged with
non-support of your wife. What
havo you to say for yourself?"
Rastua -"Well, Jedgo, I don got
hor three moro washings r week
than any other cullud lady in the
block." Toledo Blade.
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PATENTS
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This well known popular hotel is under new management. The
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Containing AH of Hi Important Public Utterances
In two handy volumes. Tou can follow Mr. Bryan practically through
his entire career, from his valedictory oration at Illinois College In 1881
through his early public life, his presidential campaigns, his world tours,
his platform experiences, and 'lis participation In meetings of organiza
tions devoted to national progress, as well as International congresses
for the promotion of tho world' peace.
The subject matter of these speeches covers a wide range of topics,
from the fundamental and vital problems of national and world lfe te
the highest Ideals of human endeavor. A handy means of reference to
the student of social problems ef tho present and future.
ONLY AUTHORIZED, COMPLETE COLLECTION
While Mr. Bryan's speeches, lectures and public addresses havo appeared
from time to time in different editions of his works, or havo been Issued
In separate form, these two volumes contain the only authentic, complete
and authoritative collection of all of his speeches ever Issued. This la tho
first publication in book form of a complete collection of Mr. Bryan's
vpeeches from his first entry In public life up to the "resent time.
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