The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-27
FOR CAMP AIGN USE
RoosEVELT'S FIERCE DIATRIBEs
AGAINST THE TRUSTS
DO NOT IMPRESS LESTER.
CONGRESSMAN THINKS THEM
WITHOUT SINCERITY OR WORTH.

A Constitutional Amendment, which
the President Is Advocating ns Il
Cure-aII for the Trust Evil, Col.
Lester Regards an Iridescent
Dream-Amendmen Would Never
Re Passed-TariH the Real REM
cdy-Arizona, New Mexico and Ok
InhOma TO BE Admitted to state
hood and the Democracy Strength
ened by New Notes.-The Chances
of the Party.
! Col. Rufus E. Lester, representative
! in Congress from this district, returned
to the city yesterday morning. In his
retreat at Saratoga Col. Lester has
been enjoying a surcease of political
cares and activities, but even there
echoes of the outside strife have
reached him and, quite as usual. his
conversation offered a fund of inter-
esting comment on men and affairs.
He has not been impressed by the
sincerity of President Roosevelt's anti
trust declara tions. On the contrary he
made on the subject of constitutional
amendments as so much political
drivel, designed for campaign con-
sumption solely and suggesting not one
single feasible method of relieving the
country of the acknowledged evils that
now infest it.
impressed" said Col. Lester, with
what in a person of less dignity would
certainly have been regarded as a sniff
of amused contempt. why he is not
even impressed himself"
For the constitutional amendment as
cure for trust evils, Col. Lester has
no consideration whatever.
No Chance for Amendment.
There is no chance on EARTH" he
said, "of having such an amendment
passed. To amend the constitution re-
quires two-thirds vote of both houses
of Congress and the ratification of the
legislatures of three-fourths of the
states. To expect that such approval
of any constitutional amendment af-
fecting the trusts can be secured would
tax the credulity of the most confiding.
1t won't, and that's all there is to it;
the President does not believe in his
own scheme"
Col. Lester thinks the only sensible
way to deal with the trusts is through
the tariff. By removing the tariff from
trust-made and trust-sold commodi-
ties, they would be brought in compe-
tition with the world, and the people
would be relieved of the oppression un-
der which they now labor. Col. Les
ter does not believe that the national
government can aid in any other way
though he thinks much could be ac-
complished separately by the states,
in their several Jurisdictions.
One question that is to be brought
up before the next Congress is that of
the admission to statehood of Arizo-
ma, New Mexico and Oklahoma terri
tories. Col. Lester believes that this
act of long delayed justice will be done,
and the three big territories, that have
long outgrown their swaddling clothes.
admitted to the sisterhood of the states
This, it is believed, will add consid-
erably to the Democratic strength in
House and Senate. and throughout the
country at large.
Roosevelt Will he Nominee.
ooh. yes" said Col. Lester, in an
swer to a question, Il think there is
no doubt that Roosevelt will be the
next nominee of the Republicans for
the presidency. 1t is true there is con-
siderable opposition to him in the ranks
of his own party, and had Hanna made
real effort to advance his incipient
boom, l think there would have been
question of the denomination of
Roosevelt. However, the Hanna boom
seems to have died out and the Repub-
lieans, in all probability, will give
Roosevelt a chance for another term.
Hanna is a strong man and, as poll
ticians go, a good one. He is a states
man of the commercial school, unques-
tionably, who understands thoroughly
the market value of negro delegates in
national conventions, and knows where
to place his money so that it will do
the most good. But all reports agree
that he is a man in whose word i'm
plicit reliance may be placed. Nobody
who has met and fought him doubts
his ability, and altogether he would
have made a formidable candidate for
the Republican nomination"
Col. Lester said he had no idea who
would be the standard bearer of the
Democracy. His individual preference
is Senator German of Maryland but
he admitted that there were plenty of
other disinterested patriots willing TO
concede their fitness for the nominal
ton and their ability to sweep the
country.
81 don't know" he said. where the
lightning will strike"
Lots of Democratic Timber.
Speaking seriously, Col. Lester said
there was plenty of good presidential
timber within the ranks of the Democ-
racy. Besides Senator German, he
named Hon. Edward M. Sheppard of
New York and Congressman David
De Almond of Missouri.
mir. Sheppard is a strong and able
man." said Col. Lester, land Congress-
man De Almond is one of the leaders
of the Democratic party in the House.
In the very probable event of the next
House being Democratic, l think it
likely that he will be speaker. Either
of these would make a strong candi-
date for the presidency, and, under
the Democratic banner, he would fight
the battle with good chance of sue
cess 1 believe. anyhow, the people
are tired of Republican administra-
tion of their affairs and want
change"
Col Lester will remain in Savannah
until Congress convenes on the first
Monday in December.