The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-21
CALLED
ROOSEVELT.
Unbiased in His Attitude
Toward the Merger.
LET FACTS COME OUT
President Sustained by Best Cur
rent Opinion.
BILL IN EQUITY BEING DRAWN
Pointers From the Department Of
Justice Regarding the Forth
coming Suit.
From The journal Bureau, Room -, Post
Building, WoshingtOrs.

eral Knox tells The J our n a that
there is nothing neWtsto-day in merger
matters. He is getting the bill of equity
in shape and may file 1t next week. This,
however, is not certain. There is no par
ticular hurry and he purposes to take
his time and so be more sure of having
the writ in proper form.
He is still uncertain whether or not
to bring the suit in Minnesota. but will
lions suggest the greater wisdom of an
other course, and 1.-THE suit is brought
in Minnesota it is likely that District
Attorney Purdy will have only nominal
connection with it.
Purdy's "Other Fish to Fry"
Purdy is very busy man: The routine
business of his Office is very heavy and
he really has more than he can properly
do with his present force. Mr.. Knox
speaks in the highest terms of Purdy's
work and other officials Of the department
say the business in Minnesota has never
been handled with more dispatch and
ability than at present. The selection
suit will therefore be no reflection
against Purdy. This suit will require the
undivided time of the man who is put in
charge of it and if 5Purdy were selected
the regular business Of the district at
torney's Office in Minnesota would have
to be put into new hands, which would
be unw1se. At the same time Purdy
knows nothing about the details of the
merger question. It will be altogether
the proper thing, SO the department of
justice holds, to leave Mr.. Purdy where
he now is and put in charge Of the mer-
ger case some expert who has given it
careful study.
President Neither "Pro" Nor "Anti."
The impression in Wall street that the
president and attorney general are hos
tile to the merger Is rapidly disappear
ing. A similar feeling in the northwest
will also disappear. The real facts were
set forth in these dispatches yesterday.
The president is nss55sass se...pro- merger, nor
tions or prejudices.. He simply wants the
adequacy of the Sherman antitrust law
| tested so that congress and. the people
may know where they are at.
| 1t is admitted there will be no further
| legislation SO long as no test IS made,
and 1t is the presidents duty, charged as
he is with the execution of the laws, to
,
is simply in the line Of his official duty
and is without prejudice or feeling.
New York Journalistic Verdicts.
The morning newspapers in New York
are editorially taking this view of the
case to-day. Here is an excerpt from the
leading editorial in the Times:
The f1nanciers who have organized the
Northern Securities company should welcome
the decision of the attorney general to bring
| them before the supreme court of the United
States for determination Of the legality of
! their action. The stock market may be dis
turbed and the authors Of this plan of merger
may be put to serious inconvenience, but the
public welfare. and we think. their own in
terests as well, demand an adjudication of the
scope of the Sherman antitrust law.
This administration and its predecessors
| have been reproached with willingness to
| let the Sherman act of 1890 remain a dead
letter. Prosecutions have not been under
taken when they seemed to be called for and
| it has been said that when undertaken they
! have been conducted in a half-hearted manner
| 1t is characteristic Of President Roosevelt
that he should refuse to remain quiet under
| this imputation. He not only has due re.
gard for his own reputation, but his mind ani
his conscience are attentive to considerations
| of the interests Of the people in whatever way
they may be threatened.
| The President Unbiased.
| The Sun thinks that the attorney gen.
eral should not have taken "snapSjudg-
ment'' on Wall street, but believes the
| litigation is in the interest of all con-
cerned and that the president is unbiased.
The Sun adds: r..
| Incidentally the charge that President Nc.
Kinley appointed Corporation LAWYER as
attorney general falls to the ground. II
there is any politics in the presidents move
| it will be of the larger and broader kind and
will help him. The people like man Of
| courage and conviction In public Office man
who will do his duty without prodding
Neither side can question the presidents sin
cerity or say that the proposed test is not d.
rectly in the interest of all concerned. It will
illuminate the entire trust question, show the
| sufticiency pr otherwise of existing laws and
point the way for congress and, what is
| Of great Importance so far as the white house
is concerned, it will show the president as
aving done his full duty in fearless, manly
way.
| It is strange that there should be feeling
| in the east that there has been any SNAP
! judgment. It was authoritatively announced
| at the White House and at the department
of justice more than g month ago that the
attorney general, at the presidents request
was about to enter upon thorough investt-
| cation of the merger question and it's relation
to existing federal statutes with a view tc
recommending some kind of action. The in
vest igaton was prosecuted and on Wednes-
day the attorney general was ready to an
nounce it's result together with the presidents
Instructions The successive steps have beer
logical and some announcement was to have
been expected else why the investigation? II
| would have been serious matter for the ad-
| ministration to have refused to act in case
involving the interests Of half dozen states Oh
the one hand and many millions of capital
on the other. The charge Of cowardice would
have attached to the president for he would
| have failed to rise equal to a great oppor-
| tunity.
| Capital COncensus.
! These are the lines along which COM
ment is directing itself to-day in Wash
ington. The president is emerging from
! the furry with distinct gain in prestige
and honor, for everybody comedies the
purity of his motives and his disinter-
| estedness He is as much the president o
Wall street as of the people of Mime
sofa. He wants full Justice done to boil
! sides. refusing himself to become a par:
| tizan or to take partizan stand. HI
realizes that this is question for thu
Judicial branch of the government, mo-
for the executive. His act is simply ont
of plain routine duty. He places tn,
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