Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 October 1908 — NOW IT IS KELLOGG [ARTICLE]

NOW IT IS KELLOGG

Another Republican Campaign Mana* ger Allied to the Treats—The Minnesota National Committeeman Attor- „ ney for the Steel Trust—Some Questions That Indicate Why the Republicans Need Not tie Expected to Suppress Trusts. Every day there are new developments to show that the Republican party is In the control of the trusts. The head of the powder trust, under indictment, has been bounced from the committee, but the bouse cleaning has just begun. During the week the Chicago Journal and other papers have shown that Acting Chairman Nagel, of the Republican national committee, Was the attorney for the Standard Oil trust in the big suit Republican Attorney General Hadley, of Missouri, brought to drive that trust out of Missouri. The New York World has shown that the Republicans in New York refused to nominate George R. Sheldon as lieutenant governor of that state because bis trust connections were so notorious that the people would not stand for him, and yet be is the treasurer of the Republican national committee. In Chicago, the assistant treasurer of the Republican committee is a member of the board of review. As such he passes upon tax assessments. A few weeks ago he scandalized the country by sending letters to corporations, upon whose assessments for taxation be must pass, asking them to contribute to the Republican campaign fund. Nearly all the “advisory committee” has close trust affiliations, and were appointed to “fry the fat” out of the trusts. And now, by way of Seattle, come questions dirclosing the fact that Frank B. Kellogg, the member of the national Republican executive committee from Minnesota, who, as a member of the platform committee In the convention that nominated Ta.’t, is said to have drafted the evasive labor plank in the Taft, platform, is so related to the steel trust as to disqualify him to represent the people in the contest between the trusts and the people. The Seattle Times, after showing that the trust magnates control the Republican party, adds another dark chapter to trust domination of that party in the following questions prepared by a citizen of Seattle:

“Was not Frank B. Kellogg, the attorney whom President Roosevelt appointed to fight the Standard Oil company, the general counsel of the Oliver Mining company of Minnesota for a period of ten years? But the Oliver Mining company of Minnesota is only another name for Standard Oil.

.. “Is not Kellogg even now the general counsel for the United States Steel company of Minnesota? Is he not paid a very large salary by that corporation, and been so paid for many years? And yet the United States Steel company of Minnesota is absolutely owned by the Standard Oil. “When the Merritt Bros., of Duluth, were obliged to. sue John D. Rockefeller to obtain their rights in a mining deal located on the Mesaba range in Minnesota —was not Frank B. Kellogg the attorney for the oil king? Not only that, but did- not Kellogg carry the case to the circuit court of appeals and secure the reversal of a judgment for about one million dollars? "Do not the Rockefellers and their associates control the Great Western Railroad company, running from Chicago to St. Paul and Kansas City? But is not Kellogg the attorney for that road?

“Assuming that these questions must be answered in the affirmative, how can the department of justice employ Mr. Kellogg to prosecute the Standard Oil company in behalf of the people and still alow him to act for the Standard Oil company in the cases mentioned?

“Is not Kellogg also the trusted adviser of Judge Taft? If so, what will Judge Taft likely do, if he should succeed to the presidency, so far as enforcing the law against Standard Oil?”

The truth is—and everybody knows it—that the Standard Oil trust owes its power and wealth to favoring legislation and immunity granted by the Republican party, and that the trusts for a generation have “put up” for the Republican campaign fund. They will io so again this year, and they are too smart to put their money in a concern without getting value received. Taft does not promise to-’take the tariff off of trust controlled articles or to put the officers of trusts in jail. Why? The trust magnates own the Inner circle that under Aldrich and Cannon, controls legislation, and when they pay for legislation and for freedom from prosecution they know they get what they pay for.