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The Commoner,
ISSUED WEEKLY.
Entered at tho Postofflco r.t Lincoln, Nebraska,
an second-class matter.
VlMJAM J. Ukyam
Ktlltor mid l'rojirlotor
ItiCHAiiD 1- Mietcai.kk
AKfocJntu Ktlltor
CiiAta.ni W. Hiitam
Publisher
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
00
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.
It must grieve the president to have Senator
Aldrlch retire so soon after receiving a certifi
cate of confidence from tho chief executive.
Some one has had tho audacity to paraphase
tho first lino of a rollicking stanza' to make it
read: "Halo, Halo, the gang's all gone," but
it is not accurate. Several aro left.
WHEN TEDDY COPIES MARCHING HOME
It has been suggested that upon the return
of our prodigal son from Africa we kill the
fatted beef trust.
WHAT WILL HE DO?
Those republicans who are hoping that Mr
Roosevelt will take up the fight against Cannon
and Cannonism will perhaps be interested in a
letter printed by tho Now York World Thin
letter was written by Theodore Roosevelt to
James E. Watson of Indiana in 1906 and is aa
follows: twJ
"I feel that all good citizens who have the
welfare of America at heart should appreciate
the immense amount that has been accom
plished by tho present congress organized as it
is, and the urgent need of keeping this organiza
tion in power. Mr. Cannon, as speaker of the
house, has accomplished a literally phenomenal
amount of good work. It has shown a courace
good sense and patriotism such that it would ho
a real and serious misfortune for the country
to fail to recognize. To chango the leadership
and organization of the house at this time means
to bring confusion upon those who havo been
successfully ongaged in the steady working out
of a great and comprehensive scheme for the
betterment of our social, Industrial and civic
conditions. Such a change would substitute a
purposeless confusion, a- violent and hurtful
ti0nnnHe reU ?lG PsItins of tho extreme
radical and the extreme reactionary, for the
present orderly progress along the line of a care
fully thought-out policy."
AFTER MANY YEARS
In a recent issuo tho Philadelphia North
American, republican, demands the enforce
ment by President Taft of the criminal clause
of tho Sherman anti-trust law. Referring to
tho suggestion that the trust be proceeded
against with "fines and injunctions" the North
American says:
Fines and injunctions and dissolutions! Tho old.
old story with tho ancient and Inevitable ending!
And this with a statute on tho books which tho
highest legal authority has proclaimed "a criminal
stututo;" this while tho history of the fines and
judicial orders of dissolution and injunctions
against Standard Oil and the beef trust and tho
sugar trust Is fresh In every mind; this bill or
entertainment proffered In tho hour when tho
temper of tho nation demands dramatic, climacteric
and conclusive action and not prolongation of tho
foolery of an already tlresomo farce."
What tho welfaro of tho whole nation demands
today, what would be tho best possible benefit to
every honest corporation and would most promote
legltlmato business and check most effectively tho
spread of dangerous revolutionary sentiment would
bo action by the federal executivo and judicial offi
cers along tho lines of these indisputable truths
declared more than two years ago by President
Woodrow Wilson, of Princeton:
"Our thinkers, whether in tho field of morals or
In tho field of economics, havo beforo them nothing
less than tho task of translating law and morals
Into tho terms of modern business; and inasmuch
as morals can not bo corporate, but must bo in
dividual, however ingeniously the Individual may
Beek covert, that task in simple terms comes to
this: to find tho individual amid modern circum
stances and bring him faco to face onco more with
a clearly defined personal responsibility.
"One really responsible man in jail, ono real
originator of the schemes and transactions which
aro contrary to public Interest legally lodged in
tho penitentiary, would bo worth moro than ono
thousand corporations mulcted in fines, if reform
is to bo genuine and permanent."
But Woodrow Wilson's opinions may bo belit
tled. Ho is a student, a scholar, a college profes
sor a statesman, even though a democrat of tho
ante-Bryan brand. Ho is not a judge, a corporation
lawyer, a "practical politician," nor a man ex
perienced in tho- detailed workings and demands
?, the country's "big business." So it is possible
that Washington may disdain his conclusions as
those of a dllottanto and a visionary, even though
the usual denunciation of "muck-raking" and "sen
sationalism" bo not possible in his case.
Thereforo, we submit as preferable study for tho
guidance of tho present national administration in
treatment of tho trusts the highest expert testi
mony tho views of tho jurist who, while ho was
a corporation lawyer, earned the title "godfather
of tho trusts."
But Mr. Wilson's recommendation of two
years ago was by no means the first demand
made upon a republican administration for the
enforcement of the criminal clause of the Sher
man anti-trust law. Democrats and populists,
through newspapers and through party plat
forms and political speeches, have demanded thG
application of this very effective method of
treating with lawbreakers. From the beginning
The Commoner has urged the enforcement of
this criminal clause. More than seven years
ago, in its issue of October 17, 1902, The Com
moner printed this editorial:
THE CRIMINAIi CLAUSE
The Now York Journal is entitled to credit for
formally bringing to the attention of Attorney
General Knox tho criminal clause of the federal
anti-trust law and insisting upon tho enforcement
of that law against tho coal barons. The Journal
has directed Attorney General Knox's attenUo? to
tho fact that tho very first section of the federal
anti-trust law provides for criminal prosecution
of those who engage In combinations in the form
of trusts or conspiracy in restraint of trade o
nations?0 amn& th S6VCral States or with foreign
Tho Journal suggests to Attorney General Knox
that criminal prosecutions of these .well-fed viola
tors of tho law will be advantageous to pubHc in"
terests. By way of proof in support of thi JK"
mand for tho immediate criminal prosecution n't
these people tho Journal calls attention t?
findings of tho congressional committee of thV ft
terstato and foreign commission made in 18M ,i
quoted with approval in tho report of the incftS1
trial commission in 1902, as follows- indus-
haBnraSbnSafoa tffi ne 'raffi10"'
panies engaged in mining and tranSoffini comT
are practically in a combination r tn ! cP.aI
output and fix" tho price , whl?h tho JShiin"01 V16
this important and necessary art?cFe of aya for
tion. There is substantially no comnimin8UI??"
Ins between these compon es. The onlv fmif01.8
to their domands is tho Indisposition LHI".ItatIon
otho, public to buy their,npdroanVohrebi?aa
negoraf 0dmSdF W'
tion controls tho country's anthraHt o(LombIna
Ho declares that he can show thit,oal .""Wrty.
splracy Is centered in the Temrrto Trnr1" con
and that tho men whoso acts should thuVJ
w"" -i'i. uj. me JournarH ntntarr
-.- w..... ..UA. iciuireu inn nnmn n n "' Jvy.r'r
attorney lor Now York. There ha, "iswici
general curiosity to know whv th H?K Wry
has not sought to enforce u crLtnif W
tho federal anti-trust law Nn JrnJtln &l Jise tf
tho admlnlstrat on Tims aTteinnto5eW5Wl?w 8
administration's failure In S re &
formal not ce which tho New v? w W
served upon tho attorney seheYal wm J? ivS
spread attention. It is to be fhoM &W!r
torney General Knox may VctTe $Uw8fi&Tg
VOLUME 10, NUMBER 17
seriously undertake tho enforcement of this verv
important and in fact chief feature of the fodoVni
anti-trust law. - -eucral
In The Commoner of February 10, 1905, the
following editorial appeared:
ENFORCE THE CRIMINAL CLAUSE
The opinion rendered by the United States su
preme court in the beef trust case appears to
be a complete vindication of the government's
claim that the packers have conspired in re
strain of trade and have made themselves liable
to the terms of the Sherman anti-trust law.
In this case the opinion was delivered by Jus
tice Holmes who, several months ago speaking
from the bench, declared that the Sherman anti
trust law was a criminal statute and should be
enforced accordingly.
Several weeks ago, -Washington correspon
dents announced that some one high in the con
fidence of the administration had declared that
if the supreme court sustained the government's
contention in the beef trust case, criminal pro
ceedings would be instituted. On the day fol
lowing the supreme court's decision in that case,
Washington dispatches said that unlqss the pack
ers accepted the opinion as the government un
derstood it, the criminal clause of the Sherman
anti-trust law would be invoked.
It is to be hoped that this course will be
adopted. Long ago, the criminal clause, which
is indeed the chief feature of the Sherman anti
trust law, should have been enforced. It is the
one feature of that law which the trust magnates
greatly fear. The criminal indictment is the
one weapon which powerful law breakers dread.
Mr. Roosevelt has it in his power to demonstrate
his sincerity by invoking the powerful aid of the
criminal indictment in his warfare against tho
trusts. Men of all political parties hope that
the president will rise to the emergency. He
has everything to gain and nothing to lose by
standing fearlessly and stalwartly in defense of
public interests and the only way in which the
welfare of the many may be protected from tho
greed of the few is by calling strictly, to ac
count men who, in order to fill their pockets
with ill-gotten gains, do not hesitate to conspire
against the very lives of ,the people.
The time-for experiments has gone by, Mr.
President. The time for action is at hand. The
people have been -permitted to sufferNalUtoo long.
They are not only entitled to' relief, but they
must have relief. It is within your power to
protect them and whatever contempt these in
fluential law-breakers may show for injunction
proceedings or high-sounding manifestos, they
will be very ready to obey the law and obey
it implicitly when they are brought face to
face with the fact that continued violation of
the law means imprisonment.
FRIGHTENED
Washington dispatches say that even Representative-
DalzeTl is frightened afid recently made
a hurried trip to "his home in order to look "after
his fences. Representative Ta-wney, another
Gannon lieutenant, also received a hurry call.
These little spasms of fright are mighty tame
compared with the chill which will come over
these republican leaders on election day.
"AS AISY AS YOU CAN"
I've a sweetheart that's the merriest boy in all
the County Clare,
His whistle's like the blackbird's flute in spring
time's larchwoods fair,
Ans'aif m troublin' any time, "Be aisy, love,"
"An' if you can't be aisy, be as aisy as you can!'
He'll up at dawn to find for me the wee red
cow that strays,
H1cbu?n'aa3CUe the bU"er 06be 'n T
AnioX""ayBeDin!ld B06mS "" aWry' "Be alay'
"An- If you can't be aisy, be aa aisy as you can!"
ZmJ wlth aU a ' .
H WgWolse"9 maDy a maia 'r Partne
BU1ov"' h'S Sm"'8 for every one- ".Be al
"An- if you can't be aisy, be as aisy as you can!"
Zo- Sunntye 5!ar0my BWeoheart '
t&ZSlS 'marrled when 'ffie Ma"
iW!SyW '. 'or "Be .taft
AW you can't bVaisy, be as aisy as you .'can!-
Pall Mall Gazette. ,
V -iS&j ,f$
