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

I Commission did not enforce the law and had
| made no effort to do II. This put the Inter
| state Commerce Commission on its mettle
and II decided to see that the law was en-
forced unless the President interposed.
| ARGUE THAT INTERSTATE
COMMERCE LAW IS OBSOLETE.
To obtain that interposition many visits
| were paid to the White House The Presi-
| dents visitors pointed out to him that the
present interstate commerce law had been
really outGrown by the country during the
| business and industrial evolution of the last
! four years. They held that the enforcement
Of the law against railroads would in no
serse benefit the shipper or the country at
large. but would cause business unrest,
financial uncertainty and might precipitate
q panic.
The President heard very vivid descrip-
tions Of what a panic meant. and it was a
matter Of easy inference that II he encour-
aged the enforcement OF what his callers
characterized as an obsolete and oppressive
law. he could not expect political support
fl ON the business interests Of the country
who felt that they were about to be at
tackled
HOW ONE INTERVIEW IS
SAID no HAVE TERMINATED.
1t Is related that. during one of these IN
terviews. a president Of a Western and
Southern railroad. the stock of which a
few years ago was selling at IS. and IS now
at par and a half. was very insistent in de-
ecribing the iniouitous features Of the in
terstate law.
The President told him that he would be
very glad to meet the railroad men Of the
country with the representatives OF the
shippers. and perfect a law upon which all
could agree. and which would safeguard
every interest and do injustice to none He
would use his influence to pass such law.
1N-1 st,ay rNwte
declaring that they wanted no law at all.
or a law that would be a dead letter. claim
ing that the railroads. unde. their pres
ent conservative management. could be
absolutely trusted to Cypress ro one.
The President is reported to have told the
railroad president that such men as he
were almost entirely responsible FOR the
spread Of social!stic sentiment in this coun-
try.
WARNED HE WOULD LOSE
BUSINESS INTERESTS SUPPORT.
That ended the interview. but there have
been others. These were first held for the
purpose Of asking the President to keep his
hands Off the merger effected by the North
ern Securities Company. When these efforts
fsiled the whole Of the financial world.
from one end Of the country to the other.
started campaign for the purpose of
showing the President that his policy. II
persisted in. would cut him of absolutely
from the support Of all the vested business
interested.
Railroad men. stock brokers. heavy in
vestors in railroad securities. almost with
out exception. took the attitude that II Mr..
Roosevelt did not change his policy he
would find himself absolutely without busi-
ness support and without any campaign
funds in 1904 should he he nominated.
Undoubtedly some Of the influential men
who have been talking that way have fully
decided to oppose Mr.. Roosevelt for nomi-
nation and for election, II he should get the
nomination.
RAILROAD INTERESTS PRESENT
BILL THROUGH ELKINS.
terests are seeking to have passed a bill
which will not only permit pooling under
restrictions by the Interstate Commerce
Commission. but which would permit a
union of interests SO satisfactory to the
operators Of great railroads as TO render
such a merger that brought
about by the Northern Securities Company
1t Is stated that II this bill be passed II
will make no difference whatever TO the
Great Northern and Northern Pacific inter-
ests whether Attorney General Knox's in
junction proceedings begun In Minnesota arc
decided adversely TO the railroads or not.
The bill in question vas introduced by
Senator Elkins. chairman of the Interstate
Commerce Committee but IL is opposed BY
the Boards of Trade and other business as
sociations of the country representing the
shippers. Senator Eikins however. asserts
that II is measure based on common sense