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JULY 14, 1905
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The Commoner;
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THE ROOSEVELT STAMP. IS NOT SUFFICIENT
Following are extracts from the report made
by Messrs. Judson and Harmcn to the department
of justice:
This secret agreement with the fuel
company involved the carriage of hundreds of
cars per month; the concessions from the es
tablished rates must have amounted to $1,000
000 for the two and one-half years during
which they were granted; and it is incredible
that this scheme was devised and carried out
by any authority but that of the chiefs of the
railway company who were in control of its
traffic department.
What wj have said is peculiarly true of
the great corporations of our day. They can
not be imprisoned, and punishment by fine
is not only inadequate, but reaches the real
culprits only lightly, if at all. The evils with
which we are now confronted are corporate in
name, but individual in fact. Guilt is always
personal. So long as officials can hide be
hind their corporations, no remedy can be
effective. When the government searches out
the guilty men and makes corporate wrong
doing mean personal punishment and dis
honor, the laws will be obeyed.
The violation by a corporation of an in
junction against it and its officers always calls
for a rule against such of them as had con
trol of its conduct, to show cause why they
should not be held personally responsible.
They are prima facie guilty of disobedience.
It wac; their duty to see that the acts forbid
den were not done, as well as not to do them.
Yet Mr. Roosevelt "entirely agrees" with At
torney General Moody, who refuses to bring pro
ceedings against the railroad officials individually.
Lawyers generally agree with Messrs. Judson
and Harmon's statement of the law principle. Mr.
RooseveTt will find it very difficult to sustain his
reputation for sincerity in the battle against re
bates and conspiracies in restraint of trade so
lor j as he adheres to the position that guilt is
impersonal and that influential wrong-doers can
hide their crimes behind a soulless and fleshless
corporation.
A well known attorney of Newport, Ark., in
ferring to the Morton affair, says:
It seems the president and his attorney gen
eral do not think that the officers are charge
able with the crimes of a corporation and
should not be hold to account, but wo all havo
in mind the promptness with which the de
partment of justico acts in strikes and tho
readiness with which the federal court and
the district attorneys arrest and punish tho
officers of labor unions. I suppose that thero
must bo some theory they have which makes
tho distinction, but I can't see it.
The rule laid down by President Roosevelt
and by which rule Paul Morton escaped prosecu
tion, could bo successfully invoked for tho pro
tection of every law breaker, great and small. If .
Mr. Roosevelt's position in the Morton affair is
correct, then why the grand jury investigation
of the beef trust? The members of the grand
jury did not positively know that the beef trust
magnates had personal knowledge of tho con
spiracy. It is a terrible thing for an indictment
to be brought against these gentlemen under such
circumstances.
Mr. Roosevelt has enjoyed great popularity
and some of his friends seem to have rested under
the impression that his mere word is sufficient
to set the stamp of morality upon any act, re
gardless of its character. They are beginning .o
realize their mistake. Mr. Roosevelt's popularity
has suffered greatly during tho past two weeks,
and he has been openly and somewhat bitterly
criticised by many who, feeling kindly toward
him, have been loath to say aught to his discredit.
But as every intelligent man knows, Mr. Roose
velt went altogether too far in the Paul Morton
affair. The widespread criticism to which his
action has been subjected is well reflected in an
editorial appearing in the New York Press, a
republican paper, from which editorial this ex
tract is taken:
To the American people the attitude of
tho national administration toward tho. Atchi
son rebate violations and toward Paul Morton,
.. disclosed by the correspondence mado pub
lic, must be simply astounding. Mr. Morton's
excuse for violating the laws of the United
States was that "all the other fellows do it."
The administration's excuse for not punishing
Mr. Morton and the other Atchison law
breakers and defiers of Interstate commerce
committee decisions is that "all the other fel
lows do It." No wonder Messrs. JudHon and
Harmon, retained as Hpoclal counnol of tho
government tj prosoculo tho rebate criminate,
withdraw from tho cao, In view of tho gov
ernment's acceptance of tho logic and mor
ality of Mr. Morton! They could not con
tinue to touch a cane Influenced by such prin
ciples without lowing their Molf-rospaoL and for
feiting their professional standing!
JJJ
ENFORCING THE CRIMINAL LAW
The Indictments returned In tho beef trust
cases mnrk an epoch In tho trust fight. For several
years tho democrats havo been urging tho presi
dent to enforce the criminal clauao of the Sher
man law, but he has re'used. Ho has contented
himself with an occasional injunction. Tho In
effectiveness of tho president's romody Is shown
by tho fact that tho trusts havo grown moro and
moro bold In spite of injunctions. But now sev
eral wealthy trust magnates of high business and
social standing nro brought before tho criminal
courts and havo to face a year In the peniten
tiary. If tho trial succeeds and the defendants
are convicted It will do more to break up tho
trus'a than all tho Injunctions that could bo Is
sued. Tho democrats can congratulate them
selves that another of their roniedles is to bo
tried. One after another the democratic plans
are being vindicated. Democracy Is growing and
13 forcing its policies on tho dominant party.
JJJ
FRANCIS W. BROWN
Tho special congressional election in the
First Nebraska district takes place July 18. Tho
counties comprising this district aro Lancaster,
Cass, Nemaha, Otoe, Johnson, Richardson and
Pawnee. Mayor Francis W. Brown, tho demo
cratic nominee, has made a good fight and it la
believed he stands an oxcellont show of election.
If tho voters of tho First Nohraska district who
believe in the principles en' ftod In tho plat
form upon which Mayor Brow. nds go to tho
polls he will, undoubtedly, bo c oled by a sub
stantial majority.
It is to be hoped that every reader of Tho
Commoner will make it his duty to remind his
neighbor that tho special election takes place
July 18. Let us have a full vote.
HELPING TO WIDEN "THE COMMONER'S" SPHERE OF INFLUENCE
S. S. McClendon, of Tyle Texas, sends a list
of ten new subscribers to The Commoner, to
gether with the renewal of his own subscription.
Mr. McClendon says that it ought to be the pleas
ure of all "who believe in ' e gospel of democracy
the broad gospel of humanity of which Tho
Commoner is so able an exponent" to aid in tho
effort to widen The Commoner's sphere of in
fluence by increasing its circulation. Mr. Mc
Clendon says:
I desire to ask each of your subscribers
this question: "Is there any better way of ef
fectually discharging the duties and spreading
this gospel than by giving The Commoner
widespread circulation?
Let each one who can answer, No, to
this question, send in his name to The Com
moner office as a member of "The 500,000
subscription to The Commoner club," which
the subscribers do now organize with this '
promise:
"Having faith and believing in the
broad principles of democracy, I will do what
I can toward increasing its influence and ex
tending its principles by devoting one hour
of the first Tuesday in each month for the
following eight months to procuring subscrip
tions to The Commoner.
"You may enter my name as a member
of the club and rest assured that unless un
avoidably prevented I will live up to the prom
ise." I believe that our fellow democrats
Would feel amply repaid for the time and
labor spent, in the satisfaction of having
aono a loving service a duty well performed
to their country and party by devoting one
hour in each month, or ono day in eight
months, to such service.
And as an encouragement to them and
evidence that our object can be accomplished
I desire to add that having come to a sense
of my duty today, I went out and procured
ten. nev- subscribers to The Commoner in an
hour.
I am confident that I can increase this
number to at least forty within the eight
months by acting upon the suggestion and
fulfilling the promise made relative to tho
500,000 club.
Now, are there not 10,000 who can do as
much, or 40,000 who can procure as many as
ten new subscribers?
Let im ask my democratic friends if it is
not worth while? Then if it is let us make the
effort.
Those who desire to co-operate in the effort
to increase Tho Commoner's circulation have an
excellent opportunity to do so by availing them
selves of the special subscription offer. Already
many Commoner readers are taking advantage
of this offer.
B. H. Whitaker, Stlllwell, Ind. Ter., sends list
of fifteen subscribers to The Commoner at a club
bing rate of five for three dollars.
T. B. Snider, Bardwell, Ky., sends list of
forty-four subscribers to The Commoner at the
clubbing rate of five for three dollars.
Dr. Ed. B. Stukey, Lancaster, Ohio, sends six
subscribers to The Commoner.
Curtis B. Smith, Prattsville, N. Y., sends list
of six subscribers to The Commoner, five new and
one renewal. m ,, , , .
According to the terms of the special sub
scription offer, cards each good for one year's
suhscription to The Commoner, will be furnished
in lots of five, at the rate of $3 per lot. This
places the yearly subscription rate at CO cents.
Anyone ordering these cards may sell them
for $1 each, thus earning a commission of ?2
on each lot sold, or he may sell them at the cost
price and find compensation in the fact that ho
has contributed to the educational campaign.
These cards may bo paid for when ordered,
or they may be ordered and remittance made after
the; have been sold. A coupon Is printed below
for the convenience of those who desire to par
ticipate In this effort to increase The Commoner's
circulation:
THE COMMONER'S SPECIAL OFFER
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ilre you to send me a aopply of aubterJptlon
card. I agree to use my utmost endeayor to tell
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entouraqtmeat, JfU out Ih above coupon and mail it
to Tho'Coranjossr, Uocobs, Neb.