The Saint Paul globe., 1902-12-04
THURSDAY, DEC. 4, 1903.
EASY ON THE TRUSTS.

In considering the national policies
outlined in the presidents message
Democrats as such should first Of all
reflect that they are the proposed poll
cies of a party which is in complete
control of every department of the ma
tional government. In so far as they do
not look to substantial interference
with the existing order Of things the
incoming congress will no doubt con-
cur in the recommendations of that
message; but in every event the oppo-
sition to the existing administration
and every enlightened voter who de-
sfres to see that administration remov-
ed from control of the national govern
ment must bear in mind that it is a
united party which is now in control
and that that party stands strongly
behind it's representative in the exec
utive department of the general gov
ernment
A general view of the message and
It's recommendations leaves no doubt
that the majority in the incoming con-
gress will concur in it in every par
ticular. The president has been care
full to moot no new programme, to offer
no radical opinion upon any disputed
question and to carefully observe the
considerations Of party political expe-
diency which must necessarily suggest
themselves in the preparation of such
a document
AT the inception of his rule as ma
ttonal executive T h e Globe warned
It's fellow Democrats that they could
not safely rely upon President Roose-
welt making any substantial political
blunders or doing anything which
would set himself at strife with his
party or its leading representatives
Thus far our warning has been sus-
tanned. 1t is confirmed in the message
which has just been read to congress.
Two great subjects interest enlight-
ened citizens in connection with this
message. They are the trusts and the
tariff. On the first question President
Roosevelt does not bulge one step be-
yond the limits set by his party's con-
duct in that regard in the past six
years. Wherever in the message he
suggests course of conduct In rela-
tion to the trusts he accompanies it
with q warning Of the danger that will
ensue in certain contingencies.
The sum of the message in its ref
erence to trusts is that the president
favors publicity; that he is against
fictitious issuance of stock; that con-
gress has power under the Interstate
commerce clause of the constitution to
regulate the trusts to the extent Of pro-
tecting every public interest involved
IN their abuse Of their powers and
privileges, or, even if it has not, or il
such regulation fails to accomplish
substantial results, that q constitu-
tional amendment will be found ade-
quate in all directions.
There is nothing more in the mes
sage on this score. There is All occa-
sional effort made in it, consciously or
otherwise, to convey the idea that it
enters into the presidents mind seri-
oualy that the trusts should be cen
trolled, as, for instance, when he says:
Corporations, and especially combina-
tions of corporations, should be man.
aged under public regulation" Such
sentence taken by itself might
mean much. Considered in the light
of the entire message and its treat
ment Of the subject of truEts it has
no Eigniftcance whatever, except. such
as it may derive from the general rec
Ommandation of publicity.
Following the subject Of the trusts
into the domain Of tariff legislation
President Roosevelt shows even less
fnsistenee on positive action with ref
erence to existing monopoIies. In that
connection he says in brief that 1t
would inevitably do harm and could
not possibly do good to take the tariff
off tru&t-nlade articles. He ASSUMES,
strangely enough, that the demand Of
the oppciEelts Of his administration is
that the trust problem should be solved
by removing such tariff duties, and by