The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-11-11
Such Is the Forecast of His Forth
coming Message to
Congress.
TARIFF MADE A SIDE ISSUE.
Transfer of Seat of Government
From Wall Street 10 Washing
ton" Is the Slogan of RoOse-
velt's Admirers.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
New York. Nov. IO-A Washington specia
to the Evening Post saws:
The Presidents message will unques-
t!onaby deal with both the control of tn,
trusts and the revision of the tariff but tn,
tariff question will be subordinated in q
marked manner to that of the trusts The
line oc argument. it is understood. will b'
that. until legislation can be obtained FOL
the enforcement OF publicity in trust op.
erations, there is only one course to pursue
namely. TO make use of such judicia
weapons existing statutes put into tbs
hands of the Government; inquire whether
any of the industrial combinations are
breaking the laws we already have. and il
there is reason to believe they are. t. pros
ecute and punish them.
Bearing this in mind II will be plain
that the idea of making revision of the
tariff the basis of campaign against the
trusts is not the Presidents programme
now.
"On his familiar theory that one thing a,
time is enough. he will push the trust is
sue to the front at once. the tariff issue
taking for the present a secondary place.
where it can be treated thoughtfully and
with scientific. rather than a vindictive,
end in view.
That is the reason he would prefer 70
take the first consideration of the whole
subject outside OF Congress and refer IT to
a commission of experts. whose general
conclusions. reached, perhaps, not for an
other year or eighteen months. would af-
ford suggestions for legislation then and a
basis for permanent national and nom
partisan policy thereafter.
This plan, it is needless to say, Is not
pleasing to some of the foremost trust mag
mates. and even mo., -norts haze
been made this year than were made last
year to head it off before the annual
message goes to Congress. Pretty broad
hints have been thrown ont in Washington
the disturbances in Wall street in the
past week are, at least in part, the result
of manipulation. with the design of warn
ing the President that If he persists in his
understood purpose. he will have some ter
rible disturbances charged up against his
record
No argument on this line and no events
In apparent corroboration of 1t have moved
him in the least. Their only effect has been
to make him set his teeth all the tighter
and assure all who have discussed the mat
ter with him that II anything more than
his own reason and moral promptings Lad
been necessary to convince him that his
course was right he has the Necessary
proof now.
From the political point of view the ef-
feet of the Presidents policy will be to
solidify the Northwest In support of the
administration. though his partisan coun-
selors all admit that they may have to
forego New York as a favorable factor.
Some of the professional politicians are al
ready figuring on a campaign cry for 1904.
of which the burden will be The transfer
of the seat Of Government from Wall street
to Washington
In this line Of activities the President Is
taking no part. even to the extent Of nod
ding his encouragement. He asserts that
he has all he can attend to in doing the
things that lie before him without estimat-
ing their probable or possible results"