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JUNE 19, 1908
The Commoner.
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WHAT DOES HE MEAN?
In the president's last message he says, In
discussing the trust question: "Thus the corpor
ations monopolizing commerce made the law
for themselves, state power and common law
heing inadequate to accomplish any effective
regulation, and the national power not yet hav
ing been put forth. The result Was mischievous
in the extreme, and only short-sightcdiress and
utter failure to appreciate the grossness of the
evils to which the lack of regulation gave rise,
can excuc the well-meaning persons who now
desire to abolish ,the anti-trust law outright, or
to amend it by simply condemning 'unreasonable'
combinations." "
What does the president mean? It was
Secretary Taft who suggested that the present
law be amended by inserting the word "unrea
sonable." This proposed amendment has been
denounced by the opponents of the trust as an
attempt to emasculate the law. At present it is
only necessary to pr'ove that a conspiracy to
restrain trade exists; with the word "unreason
able" inserte'd in the law it would be necessary
to prove not only that the restraint existed, but
that it 'was an "unreasonable" restraint, and
this would transfer the question from the jury
to the judge.
In his speech delivered at Memorial hall,
Columbus, Ohio, August 19, 1907, Mr. Taft said:
"I am inclined to the opinion that the time
is near at hand for an amendment of the anti
trust law, defining in more detail the evils
against which it is aimed, making clearer the
distinction between lawful agreements reason
ably restraining trade and those which are per
nicious in their effect," etc., etc.
It was supposed that Secretary Taft had
the endorsement of President Roosevelt in this
proposed change, but from the paragraph above
quoted from the president's message, it would
seem that the president is opposed to this
amendment and the fact that ,he makes this
specific statement at this time would seem like
a rebuke to the position taken by Secretary
Taft.
Can this mean, that the president does not
regard the secretary as sufficiently inoculated
with reform? Does the president intend by
this paragraph to. indicate that, the secretary,
is not to be trusted on the trust question?
"What does the president mean, anyhow, by this
direct and specific condemnation of the attempt
to weaken the anti-trust law?
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THE IiEAD TRUST AT WORK
It seems that the lead trust has Leen using
the puro food law for the prosecution of the
independent paint men. It. has been trying
to compel them to disclose their formulas, and
the paint men retaliated by starting a movement
to require white load and all related products
to be labelled "Poison." This seems to have
had the desired effect upon the lead trust and
a compromise resolution was agreed upon which
protested against proscriptive legislation in the
interest of one line of business as against an
other line of business with the provision that
whenever legislation upon these matters is in
sisted upon it should be directed toward the
maintenance and upbuilding of the law upon
trade and allied industries by legislation insur
ing full weights and full measures and prohibit
ing false and misleading descriptions. This
means that the paint men will retaliate upon
the lead trust if the lead trust attempts to
use its influence against the other paint dealers.
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KINDNESS
. The Lincoln (Neb'r.) Daily Star, a repub
lican paper, prints the following generous
editorial:
A VOICiS FROM NEW YORK
The New York " Realty Journal prints an
editorial on the political situation that may well
command the serious attention of republicans
in every state. To see a newspaper in New
York printing words of praise for Mr. Bryan
is no common sight, so there is double signifi
cance in the fact that not only is the Evening
Post conceding Bryan's strength and praising
him in strong words, but the Realty Journal,
which claims to be the "recognized organ of the
taxpayers of the state of New York," is speak
ing openly ,in Bryan's favor.
The Star reproduces a portion of the Realty
Journal's editorial for the purpose of impressing
upon republicans the fact that some of the un
friendly sentiment toward t) e Nebraska leader
has disappeared; that he has friends in the
country of the "enemy," and that efforts this
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Ready for the Campaign
year, will have to be doubled if x democratic
victory is averted. The Realty Journal says:
"We have conterided,: as reference to' our
editorial columns will prove, that there no longer
exists anyntagonism in the ranks of legitimate
business men of the country to Mr. Bryan, who'
has won the entire confidence of the business
community. Mr. Bryan is only opposed by the
members of the special privileges party, as is
President Roosevelt.' The special privileges
party is- made up of a membership that thrives
on illegitimate business interests, as opposed to
the legitimate business interests of the country.
We agree with the Evening Post in its laudation
of Bryan. We may state that we look upon
Bryan and Roosevelt as two of our greatest
Americans, and whichever of the two is elected
our next president, the legitimate business in
terests of the country will be safe; that is, they
will no longer be made to suffer from the exac
tions of the special privileges party interests.
"We have been singularly fortunate in our
political predictions in the past, as has been
evidenced in our past editorials which we have
reproduced from time to time. We now make
another prediction, and we hope to reproduce
this editorial' in November next to show whether
wo were right or wrong, namely, we predict
that Bryan or Roosevelt will be the next presi
dent of the United States."
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A. WORTHY MONUMENT
An interesting ceremony was observed in
Birmingham, Alabama, a few weeks ago, when
the citizens of that metronoJ
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ness the unveiling of a monument.' - monu
ment was not erected to a military hero. It
was not erected to a man who Lad left his im
press upon the political history of his time. It
was erected to the memory of a woman, un
known, perhaps, outside of Birmingham and its
immediate environs, but a woman whose life
work was full of sacrifices, full of devotion to
an ideal, and rewarded by the knowledge that
it was fruitful of splendid results in good citi
zenship. Mary Cahalan was the woman thus
honored. She was for twenty-five years a
teacher in the Powell public school of Birming
ham. Men and women who, as children, re
ceived instruction from her erected in Capitol
Park this monument to her mombry. The Age-
Herald editorially -referred to Mary Cahalan iii. t
these -words: ' '--,.
"Today 'at 4:30 o'clock in the beautiful1'
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Capitol park will be unveiled a monument to
commemorate the life .work of a faithful and
devoted teacher. For over ' twenty-five years
Miss Mary A. Cahalan toiled unceasingly and
with rare success to equip a generation of men
and women in this city for the work their hands
would find to do. Her pupils will gather in .
large numbers in Capitol park this afternoon,
each of them bearing affectionate memories of
the beloved teacher and superintendent. The
parents of children should see that they are at
hand to fall into line as a part of their school.
Powell school will assuredly bo present in al
most solid numbers. It would be treason in
that school to forget the work that Mary Ca
halan did. In it. She toiled for the good of the
children while strength and life remained to
her, always just and always alert in helping
her wards to become efficient men and women.
The monument to be unveiled today will keep
her memory in the hearts of -he people of this
city, and preparations have ueen made in the
park for the accommodation of an unusually
largo number."
It is evidence of a better understanding of
that which makes life worth the living, of a
better appreciation of service to humanity, when
the people of a great and busy city like Birming
ham will pause long enough to pay tribute to
the life work of one who, while she accomplished
much for" her community, Is only one of many
thousands who are engaged in. similar work all
S5er tins broad land, we ha j perpetuated the
"memory of soldiers and statesmen In marble .
and bronze. It Is fitting that we should give
similar tributes to the patient men and women
who, as teachers in our public schools, make
great soldiers and great statesmen possible by
leading them to the heights jpf learning and of
patriotism. The people of Birmingham have
honbred themselves in 'Y goring Mary A.
Cahalan.
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A REPUBLICAN CONGRESS
Mr. Bryan appears to believe confidently
that he will be elected this year. There Is no
doubt that the republican congress has done a
great deal to strengthen him In that conviction.-
rKansas City Star (rep.)
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