The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-11-06
PRESIDENTS yESSAGE
Will Undertake to Solve
the Trust Problem

Washington, D. c, Nov. c.
Judging from President Roosevelts re-
cent conversations with influential sem
ators and representatives the principal
portion Of his first message to congress
win be devoted to consideration Of
the trust question 1t is not probable
that the president win recommend dras-
tic legislation against Industrial com
binadons. but win seek some solution
OF this question. which has already
reached proportions foreshadowine
trouble n the future If not wisely dean
with now While Mr. Roosevelt may
have no specific recommendations TO
make with regard to the kind OF
trust-regulatinR law that should be
passed, the president VIII again enun-
ciate the strong convictions he has Oft
en- expressed on the general subjecr Of
the necessity Of finding some legal way
to restrain the growing power of indus
trial combinations.
According 10 popular opinion here, thu
Presidents message viii be a more con
servative document than might De sup
HWNfl AiUAil n hiAbW lttNt VI MI. iNOW-t~
velts forceful and iginal way OF do
ing things. 1t will be original i'm the
sense that it will bc written by him
self IN his Enthusiastically vigorous
language. and that it win deal with
every public question Of Importance
and general interest. But 1t is under
stood that his specific recommended
tions for legislation will be very few.
He prefers to leave II to congress to
say how the different subjects should
be dealth with, cortenting himself with
calling attention to the relative i'm
portance of each one, and making
known to congress and the country his
own views with regard to It,
Throughout the document. however,
there viii be much more generaliza-
tion than might be anticipated in pa
per written by Theodore Roosevelt. But
he believes that conservatism is de-
manded at present. more than radical
legislation,
A report has lately been published TO
the effect that the department of jus
tice viii very shortly institute proceed
ings against powerful corporation or
trust for violation of the Sherman anti
trust law The statement has been
made that the attorney general has
been for yome time gathering evidence
against this corporation, and that the
district attorneys of the various sttaes
are preparing to follow up these pro-
ceedings by other suits from time to
time.
There is little or no truth in these re-
ports The attorney general is rot pre-
pairing any case against any corpor-
alton for the very good reason that he
well knows that his predecessor, Mr..
Grlggs found out through a decision
of the supreme court of the United
States that the Sherman antitrust law
Is so full of holes that IL viii not
hold water. In the present shape OF
national legislation It is useless, even
if otherwise desirable, to proceed
against any trust. and the department
of justice long ago abandoned any at
tempt to enforce It.
Only twice since the present attorney
general took Office has he been asked to
institute proceedings under this law.
once was last summer. when commit
tee demanded that he furnish them
with the evidence against the Carnegie
Steel Trust. as they called it, which
AiAA AhlAiilAAAht lAtNAilitu nun 10 nave
become possessed of when acting as the
local attorney in Pittsburg Of one
branch of the Carnegie corporation.
Since then request has been made to
the department OF justice 20 take ac-
ton against a corporation which. IL the
evidence outlined to the attorney gener-
al exists. has plainly violated the law.
He has replied that II such evidence
can be furnished II would be his duty
and pleasure to file the suit in question.
Whether the alleged evidence exists
has not vet been demonstrated. The
fact that the request has been made
is probably responsible for the report
that the department Of justice is about
TO bring suit against a powerful cor
poration or trust.
In whatever recommendation Presi-
dent Roosevelt may make to congress
on that subject, 1t Is safe TO assume
that he viii ieect, In a measure at
least. the vicws OF his attorney general.
OF whose good judgment and ability as
a lawyer he has the very highest re-
gard II is more than likely that the
attorney general has as strong con-
victions on the subject Of the necessity
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