The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-03-24
REPTRLIC SPECIAL

i otENlAlk
Washington. March 2s.-Bshind the scenel
| In Washington there is under way a con.
test that. in its bearing on national partie.
| and the political future OF public men. and
I because OF public sentiment on one side and
the vast interests involved on the other. 1,
likelv to be more potent than the isthmiar
| canal. Cuban relief and revenue reduction.
| questions rolled into one.
1t has to do with the attitude that shall
be maintained by President Roosevelt. the
administrative officers under him. and
Congress toward the railroads Of the coun-
try.
The capitalists who are managing and
manipulating these properties are intense
/ ly interested. ard they are men whose in
fiuence can be felt in politics or business
from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Equally concerned are all of the mer-
chants and shippers who use these roads.
Also interested are the farmers and the
householders. the price OF the product OF
one depending upon the rates of freight
charged and the price OF the necessities Of
life purchased by the other being resu-
lated by the same thing.
VITAL QUESTIONS ARE
INVOLVED IN CONTENTION.
One question invlcved Is Shall the Inter-
state Commerce Commission be held back
by the Executive from continuing the elab-
crate campaign planned for the purpose Of
preventing discrimination Ia favor Of par
ticular shippers by the railroads and break
Ing UP secret pools for the maintenance of
rates that are now under way
Another is. Shall Congress pass an amend
ment to the interstate commerce law which
will permit railroads to arrange among
themselves for the eetahlishrnent and main
~ ~ota o-l a. A&
the things that Morgan. Hill and Harr1-
man attempted to do through the Northern
Securities COMPANY?
So long as these questions are not on
swered in the affirmative. the great capj-
talists OF the country contend that the
business of the country will be unsettled
the prosperity of the country Handicapped
and positive injury done by restricting the
development which, II left free and un-
trammeled. would go on by leaps and
bounds
FOUR PORTENTOrS EVENTS
MARK THE CONTROVERSY.
The Northern Securities merger SUIT or
dered by the President, was only one puhlic
incident of the great game that has been
played behind the scenes in the Cabinet
room and in committee rooms at the Cap
itol
The action Of the Interstate Commerce
Committee. in sumnoning the tariff man.
ayers Of railroads to testify as to rate cut
ting. was another Incident
Still another was the visit OF the Inter-
state Commerce Committee to Chicago.
when the leading men in the Northern Sc
curities merger were examined as to their
purpose in bringing under one management
three great railroad properties Of the West
The fourth and last event to attract the
attention of the public was the service up-
on those railroads centering in Chicago Of
notice of Injunction suits restraining them
from pooling and giving discriminating
rates.
PRESIDENT URGED To
LET WELL ENOTGH ALONE.
While all this has been going on. the big
railroad men OF the country have been pay
ing occasional visits to Washington for the
purpose Of protecting their interests at the
White House and In Congress For three
months there has been a steady stream Of
these fnanciers- ]. Pierpont Morgan has
been here three or four times: Daniel s. La
mont. Marvin Hughitt. f. H Hartman.
James J. Hill. Paul Morton. Stuyvesant
Fish and dozen others have been here
OF and on. all armed with the argument
that the President should let well enough
alone.
Alarm was felt. in the first place. over
the activity of the Interstate Commerce
Commission in making investigation for the
avowed purpose of ascertaining how the law
was being violated and then deciding
whether suits should be brought or not
The railroad men had been making ironi-
cal boasts that the Interstate Commerce