Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-11
PRESIDENT AND TRUSTS.
Roosevelt Will Speak Plainly in His
MESSAGE on the Sub iect.

MeSSaqe on Ine subject.
Washington, Nov. I1.-There is some
thing of campaign going on over the
trusts. President Roosevelt's avowed
intention to make the trusts a leading
topic of his message has alarmed some
of the managers of the big corporations
and they are bringing influence to bear
to induce the president to modify that
paragraph in his message and content
himself with the merest and most gilt
tering generalities. Thus far the presi-
dent does not seem to have relaxed his
Views in any particular, but according
to current gossip Senator Hanna, Sec
retary Root, Secretary Gage, Secretary
Hitchcock and Attorney General Knox
have all labored with the president to
induce him not to attack the trusts.
He has replied to all that he proposes
in his message to recognize in the full
est possible manner that combinations
of capital are not of themselves illegiti-
mate, nor are they necessarily OF a
character to oppress the people. On the
contrary, he intends to show that COM
binations of capital by wiping out more
expense of operation and by doing at
Wholesale what can always be done
may reduce the cost to the consumer.
None the less, Mr.. Roosevelt up to the
present time purposes to follow his
usual plan of saying what he thinks.
He will declare that many trusts and
com binations have been 80 created ana
are now so managed as to be decidedly
injurious to the interests of the people
He takes the ground that while good
trust may be a good thing. a bad trust
is exceedingly bad thing. The presi-
dents paragraph on this subject as now
written does not mince matters. 1t as
serts that the trust question is a serious
one, which must be sdealt with intelli-
gently and fearlessly. either by the
states or by the federal government or
by both.
President Roosevelt's recommendation
Will not be nearly as drastic, 1T is be-
lieyed, as his characterization OF the dan
ger to the community arising from inn
uroper combinations of capital He is
not prepared to recommend exactly
what legislation is necessary, but he
proposes to call attention TO some OF the
greatest evils involved in these great
combinations. Following closely upon
the lines laid down in his message as
governor of New York, in his letter OF
acceptance as vice president, and in his
speech at Minneapolis only short time
before he was called to the presidency,
Mr.. Roosevelt believes that many of the
dangers arising from the trusts would
be corrected if those organizations
should be supervised and Inspected
somewhat as the national banks now
are.
Publicity has been his favorite RENE
oy. and he will suggest it to congress
with the same confidence he showed
when he made the same suggestion to
the New York legislature. The presi-
dent freely admits that there may be
great legal difficulties in ths8way. but
he leaves these problems to 9e solved
by the trained legislators in congress.
That Mr.. Roosevelt is being assailed i'll
vigorous fashion by some of the repre-
sentatiyes of great corporations there
can be no doubt. They are not so much
afraid of adverse legislation, they say,
but they are fearful that if the trust
question is handled by President Roose-
Welt in the same vigorous fashion as it
was handled by Governor Roosevelt the
result may be disastrous for some of the
trust stocks.
1T is the effect on the stock market
rather than on the trusts themselves
that is feared There is pretty good au-
tkoiity for saying up to the present time
the president does not seem disposed to
tone down the language in the trust par
agraph as already written.