The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-09-10
HUMBUGGING The PEOPLE.
Reported Antagonism of Wall
Street to Roosevelt Another
Republican Ruse.

Washington, Sept. S.-Elther Mr..
Roosevelt is developing into master
ful politician or else he has some ex-
ceptionally clever advisers, is the ver
dict Of the democratic managers in this
city. His apparent desire to accom-
plish control of the trusts was sur
prise to the democrats involving as it
did, clever scheme for dive ing pub
lie attention from the one essential
remedy, tariff revision, but he has
carried the game still farther and has
succeeded in getting Senator Platt to
( announce that he will not favor the
Endorsement of Mr.. Roosevelt in the
New York republican state convention,
and aided and abetted by the leading
republican papers has created the i'm
preston that Wall Street is against
him. With those persons who do not
see through the ruse the scheme will
prove successful The large majority of
the people have come to regard Wall
Street as adverse to their interests,
and rightly SO and general impress
sion that Wall Street is opposed to
MI. Roosevelt will make for his popu-
larity on all sides.
A careful examination of the facts
however, does not warrant the propo-
sition that Wall Street regards the
President with aversion. He has done
all that the Street could ask and more.
The tariff is the mother OF trusts.
Every careful observer knows that,
and Mr.. Havemeyer, of Sugar Trust
fame, has stated SO when placed under
oath by the Industrial Commission.
The President has carefully avoided
any reference to the tariff in his
speeches and has in the main defend
ed the trusts. He has admitted that
some trusts were pernicious but has
implied that the majority were not
and has advocated remedy for the
control of the injurious ones which can
not be applied ior years and not, at
least until most of those at present in
terested in the trusts shall have pass
ed to their long reward. Should the
next House of Representatives be
strongly democratic, there is absolute
ly no reason to believe that the Senate
which can not become democratic for
at least six years, would sanction a
constitutional amendment which might
prove inimical to the interests Of the
trusts in which they are generally
speaking large shareholders.
We're the next House to remain re-
publican, it is more than probable
that such an amendment as would be
proposed by the republicans would
contain features which the democrats
could not afford to support and in any
event the Senate would defeat it.
Again, assuming that Congress passed
through both its branches the amend
ment advocated by the President can
any sane man imagine the New Jersey
legislature, for instance, approving it?
Can anyone imagine the Pennsylvania
legislature, which is completely under
the domination of Senator Quay, Civ
ing its ratification, or the West Vir-
ignia legislators voting for it without
the consent of Senator Elkins, which
they would never get? Every promi-
nent democrat in Washington declares
that the Presidents proposed remedy
is impractical and cbimerical and is
INTENDED only as a blind to circum-
vent the demand of all democrats and
of the western republicans for remov-
al of the tariff on trust made goods.
Under the circumstances there can
be little faith in the statement that
Senator Platt or bis proteges in Wall
Street are opposed to Mr. Roosevelt
and the only alternative is the PROPOSE
tion that they are assuming their pres
ent attitude to make the President
more solid with the grangers and hay
seeds to whom Wall Street is as a red
rag to a bull.
The continuance of the coal strike is
causing no small worry to the repub-
icau leaders. The prospects for the
poor man between the extortions Of the
coal trust and of the beef trust are not
promising. With both meat and fuel
advanced because protective tariff
enacted for the purpose Of permitting
the coal barons and the packers to
exact more than the real value OF these
commodities from the consumers, it
will be impossible to lead the atten-
tion Of the people away from the tariff
and to secure tariff revision it will be
necessary for the people to elect a
democratic Congress. Senators Platt
and Quay are said to be considering
some drastic measure to accomplish
this purpose, and Mr.. j. Pierpont
Morgan is to be held and made to issue
a ukase that will end the strike.
Whether the two most astute politl-
clans in the republican party, wholly
untrammelled by principle can succeed
in defeating the great fnancier whose
immense fortune has been accumulated
as result of their system of legislat-
ing the money of the many into the
pockets of the few remains to be seen.
Professor Charles Willard Hayes is
about to issue report which will en-
body the results Of the Investigation
of the Texas oil supply made by. the
Geological Survey. Professor Hayes
speaking of the fuel value Of the Texas
oil says that it has fuel value per
barrel of s3 as compared with coal at
ss. so to. $500 per ton. Last year,
there were shipped from Texas 4,0o0,-
200 barrels. Of oil, at a cost ranging
from 40 to 80 cents per ton, therefore
the likelihood Of OIL coming into com,
petition with coal as widely used fuel
is most promising. Up to date, how
ever, there is no oil burner on the
mari ket which gives entire satisfaction.
That This want will be supplied IN the