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The Commoner.
3ANUARY 1$, IMS
Mine a msn wbo win bring reinforcements ta
ill of our candidates, not a person who by drir
Jag support from the ticket will drag all dowm
Ae defeat.
MB. CARNEGIE'S TESTIMONY
Andrew Carnegie had a hard timo of it before
fine Stanley investigating committee. He ad
mitted that no protective tariff is necessary on
steel rails or steel products. He said this coun
try had nothing to fear from foreign importation
of steel.
Mr. Carnegie also claims that during all the
time he was in active business with the steel
trust that he never heard from any of his
attorneys that the Sherman anti-trust law had
anything to do with the steel trust. He said he
thought that that law applied only to railways.
Mr. Carnegie, said that Philander C. Knox was
one of his attorneys from 1890 to 1900. On this
point Mr. Carnegie was questioned particularly
by Representative McGillicuddy of Maine. The
following are the questions and answers on this
point:
"Then yo"U were left in absolute ignorance as
to the effect of the Sherman law?"
"Yes, sir."
"Mr. Carnegie," Mr. McGillicuddy continued,
did you recommend to President McKinley,
after his election in 1900, that this same attor
ney, Philander -C. Knox, who left you in blissful
ignorance all these years about the effect of
the Sherman law, be appointed attorney general
of the United States?" :
Mr. Carnegie looked at his questioner for a
moment in amazement. He started to speak.
Turning, to Attorney Reed, he exclaimed. "Did
I, judge?"
Z Mr. Reed, almost in a whisper and with a
smile on his face, replied:
fv "Yes, you wrote a letter.to the president about
Knox's appointment."'
"Now, Mr. Carnegie," Mr.' McGillicuddy went
km, "after ten years' ' experience with that at
torney, who did noflet you know about the
laws you ought tohave known, you recom1
mended him as a proper and fit man 'for attor
ney general of theUnite'd States?"
"Yes; I did," he replied "but I object to the
form of your question. You ask: 'After I had
experience.' I had no experience with Mr.
Knox, so far as the corporation was concerned.
Mr. Knox had no official relations with me."
"About the same time that Mr. Knox . went
into the president's cabinet, did his partner, Mr.
JReed, go into the directorate of the United
States Steel corporation?" Mr. McGillicuddy
Tasked.
Mr. Reed, appealed 'to by his client, replied
'tSiat he did. '
Before the ironmaster was quizzed as to his
views on the tariff, several members of the com
mittee heckled him about the ignorance of his
partners and himself about the laws.
- "Don't you think li rather unusual," Repre
sentative Beal aske;d, "that so many of these
jgreat business men were ignorant of the laws?"
"No."
"Now, don't you believe that' some men in
the Carnegie compan' knew they were violat
ing the. law?" r r
"Now, Mrt Beall,t when you say that I can
see in your face an? irresistable smile," y Mr.
Carnegie replied. ,xf
"I see you are smiling, too," the legislator
answered.
"Yes, let's smile together, you with me."
"But not be a villain still," Mr. Beall re
torted. When asked if he did not think the govern'
ment regulation which he recommended was
bordering dangerously on socialism, Mr. Car
negie declared that socialism had no terrors for
him."
'My motto is," ho said, "that all is well
since all goes better. The world is growing
better every day. I have faith in human nature.
That's what makes me optimistic."
Mr. Carnegie also insisted that the distribu
tion from wealth from the hands of a few to
the hands of many was increasing yearly.
"Men," he said, "have been able to sit down
.and agree to fix prices and maintain them."
"Do you believe that situation today destroys
competition?" he was asked.
, "Certainly."
"That men in these corporations meet some
where today to fix arid maintain prices?"
"I think that is obvious,"
Mr. Carnegie was asked if he agreed today
with views he expressed two years ago, urging
government control of corporations and regula
tion of prices.
"I still adhero to them," he answered. "I
Relieve the government should regulate maxi
mum prices."
"Don't you think tt is an unfortunate condi
tion?" "I think the time has arrived when it is
necessary, and I point to the interstate com
merce commission which has. brought order,
peace and justice out of chaos in tho railroad
business."
Representative Beall of Texas, began ques
tioning Mr. Carnegie.
"You were connected with tho iron and" steel
business altogether for about forty years, were
you not?" he asked.
"Yes, sir." y
"You found it at tho .beginning a small
business?"
"Yes, very small." - .. .
"And you left it a business dominating tho
business of the world?"
"Yes, In steel."
"In the early years you found the business
disintegrated?"
"Yes."
"And you left a business greatly improved,,
greatly extended, with all its attributes, the oro,
the transportation, the coal and other facilities
assembled and practically dominated by one
great corporation?" -
"Admirably stated," said Mr. Carnegie.
"George Perkins came to me on day and said:
'Mr. Carnegie, you once told me about your
partnership organization and I thought it was
foolish. Now I know you were right.'
. Mr. Carnegie gave the committee several
illustrations of his power to get business when
he was in the steel market.
"Why, take rails, for instance," ho continued.
"I had many close friends in the railroad busi
ness. I remember only the Union Pacific had
asked for bids for 70,000 tons of rails and the
bids were to be opened at Omaha. All my com
petitors were out there. I. walked over to Sid
ney Dillon of the Union Pacific in Now York.
I had done the Union Pacific a favor once; I
got them a loan of something over $600,000 in
Philadelphia and they elected mo and Geqrge
M. - Pullman ' directors.
"I told Dillon about tho bids and asked him
if the Carnegie rails were sufficient. He said
they were. I said, 'I want the Union Pacific
id Jdo business with me, and I'll give you the
lowest price.' I got the 70,000 tons contract.
Now, what's the use of a corporation fighting
against such an influence as that?"
tion of Thcodoro Roosevelt. The Tribune urges
that Mr. Roosevelt's name be placed upon the
ballot in every state where they have direct
primaries.
TELL THE FEOPLE
Omaha, Neb., January 4, 191-2. Editor of
The Commoner: Your statement in last week's
Commoner that tho people are more often
fooled by men than by issues is not only true,
but strikingly applicable to present political
conditions so far as -the democratic party Is
concerned. t To know where every candidate
stands on 'the issues upon which tho coming
campaign will be fought is tho right .of the
voters who will participate in the coming presi
dential primaries. No man ought to bo a candi
date for the nomination' for president who is
unwilling to take the people into his confidence
upon all issues which will enter into the cam
paign. Any man who seeks the democratic
nomination must know that if the nomination
is to come to him as the choice of the masses
of.oiir party, they must understand and indorse
his position on important issues. No man who
is not big enough and bravo enough to trust the
people by informing them what his attitude is
on all measures affecting their welfare, Is big
enough to lead the democratic party In the fight
that must be made this year.
Suppose that a few men claiming to be deeply
interested in the welfare of the people and in
the success of tho democratic party, should
announce that they had written the party plat
form for 1912, but that the. contents would not
be made public until after the national conven
tion had met and adjourned. And suppose that
these men should then ask democrats in the
different states to send delegates to. the national
convention pledged to adopt that platform. How
many votes would such a proposition receive?
Yet is not this just what democrats are re
quested to do when they are asked to support as
a candidate, one who refuses to state where he
standB with reference to the Issues before the
people.- I. J. DUNN.
HARMON'S RECORD
THE DISBARMENT OP THATCHER
BOOMING ROOSEVELT
-The Chicago Tribune is carrying on a cam
paign which it hopes will result in the nomina-
The talented gentlemen who prepared for
nation-wide circulation several pamphlets .show
ing tho eminent qualifications of Governor
Judson Harmon as a candidate for the demo
cratic nomination for tho presidency devoted
one chapter to the labor bills enacted by tho
1911 legislative session in Ohio. Not In direct
terms, but Inforentially, tho credit for ueso
enactments is given to Governor Harmon.
Among the many excollent bills which the Ohio
democrats passed in the interest of labor was
one reinstating in the practice of the law Attor
ney Charles A. Thatcher, of Toledo.
Mr. Thatcher Is a leading lawyer of Lucas
county. A great deal of his practice, by choice,
has been as a representative of union labor.
Thatcher was disbarred from practice in Ohio
by the supremo court because ho sided with
labor and criticised the judges in a controversy
which organized labor had with that tribunal.
Those who are familiar with legal controversies
between labor and capital need not bo told that
the lawyer who sacrifices himself for tho work
ingmen secures for himself an allegiance among
tho men who toil that 'is remarkably strong.
, The supremo court, because of tho stinging
criticisms of Thatcher In a ponding case, took
away from him his means of livelihood. After
that tribunal disbarred him ho could practice in
no court of record within tho boundaries of
Ohio. Immediately his cause was taken up by
the laboring mon of the state. There was but
one tribunal left with the power to roinstato
hatcher. That was the state legislature.
One of the first bills Introduced in the house
was that which sought to reinstate Mr. Thatcher.
It passed early Jn the session, two months at
least before adjournment. It became a law, and
it, may be found in "Tho Laws of Ohio, 1911,"
on page 84. It recites thatfc "Whereas, Chas. A.
Thatcher of the city of Toledo, Lucas county,
Ohio, possesses the qualifications of an attor
ney and counsellor-at-law and is of good moral
character and has practiced law in Ohio for
about twenty years, and has a number of clients
who require his services as an attorney and
cpunsellor-at-law, he having no other profession
or "occupation; and, whereas, an emergency has
arisen whereby, without legislative relief, he is
prohibited from acting as an attorney or counsellor-at-law,
and also from the applying for
admission- to tho bar in this state; therefore,
be it enacted," etc. The enactment is a formal
legal reinstatement and a command to all courts
to receive him as an attorney.
Thatcher lost his license or right to practice
in a controversy wherein ho represented labor
against capital. The action of the court was so
arbitrary and unjust at least it so appealed
to a majority of both houses of, the Ohio logis-lature-Vthat
they took this extraordinary means
of reinstating him. The bill was passed April
18, 1911, and after being signed by the presid
ing officers of the two houses, was sent to the
governor. What did ho do with it?
Here is the official record: "This bill was
presented to the governor April 18, 1911, and
was not signed or returned to the house wherein
it originated within ten days after being so
presented, exclusive of Sundays and the day
said bill was presented, and was filed in the
office of the secretary of stater May 2, 1911,"
thereby becoming a law. Governor Harmon bad
an opportunity to show himself tho friend of
labor by signing the bill reinstating labor's
champion in the practice of his profession.
Instead he took the middle course, where neither
capital nor labor would bo either pleased or dis
pleased he- allowed It to become a law with
out his signature.
The importance of this bill is probably not
understood outside of Ohio in other than labor
circles. Yet it is considered so Important by
tho compilers of Harmon "boom" literature, that
on pago 25 of the pamphlet entitled, "A Story
of the Progress in Ohio During Governor Jud
son -Harmon's Administration" it is given the
place ofjjionor as last but not 'least of what
tho Ohio legislature "under Governor Harmon's
guidance" did for tho trade unionists. C. Q. D.
JL
