The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-23
LEAVE THEM ALONE.

President Roosevelts Cincinnati
the position of his party and his ad-
ministration in the prevailing cam
paign. They are alike at once the de-
tenders of the trusts and of the tariff.
to admit of no equivocation that trusts
and tariff alike are essential to the
prosperity of the country. The only
remedy which they have to offer for
the evils now prevailing through the
operation both of trusts and tariff is
the one of constitutional amendment.
President Roosevelt tells the country
that the trusts are not the product Of
the tariff, and that tariff and trusts
alike must be dealt with delicately if
at all, if the business interests of the
country are not to be seriously injured.
The presidents former addresses
were notable for the care which he be-
slowed in avoiding the issue Of the
trusts and the tariff. The action of
Speaker Henderson has forced him to
meet a situation created through Re-
publican legislation and Republican adj
ministrative action both in state and
national affairs. The sum of all that
he has put forward on behalf Of his
party and his administration is that
the trusts cannot be reached through
the tariff; that they cannot be reached
,41,+i 81
amendment, and that the existing tariff
in all it's details must be maintained
The subterfuge of a constitutional
amendment is too transparent for dis
sible, even without overturning the en-
tire political fabric established by the
founders of the constitution, the rate
of progress made by the trusts in con-
trolling the industries of the land and
monopolizing the peoples supply OF
the necessaries of life in the past few
years make it plain that commercial
freedom and popular control would
alike be things Of the past before
such a provision could be brought into
active operation.
1t does not require Democratic ar
gumentation to establish the shallow
pretense which underlies this scheme
of an anti thrust constitutional amend
ment. Republican opinion has already
found forcible and conclusive express
sion on that score. The New York
Sun, now the recognized leading Re-
publican daily of the country, has CIV
en- clear expression to enlightened SEN
timent on this subject in the follow,
ing sentences, while discussing the ac-
ton of the house of representatives in
adopting resolution favorable to such
an amendment. Said the Sun:
''This is the most dishonest and there
fore the most diSreputable piece of work
achieved during the present session by
the leaders of the Republican policy in
the house. The dishonesty Of the per-
Torrance lies in the fact that there was
no expectation on the part of the author
of this resolution or Of the Republicans
of the judiciary committee who favorably
reported it, or of the Republicans Of the
house who were willing to vote for it,
that as the proposed sixteenth amendment
it will ever amount to more than a cam
paign trick of the cheapest and I'M
'worthiest kind"
What the Sun has said Of the action
of the leaders of the Republican policy
in the present house it probably will
not say of the suggestion of the presi
dent. But not the silence Of the Sun,
or of any or all Of the Republican or
gans, can conceal the truth that Pres
ident Roosevelt has deliberately placed
his party and his administration in
precisely the same position which the
Sun describes the Republican house
majority as occupying. 1t certainly
must be grave political crisis which
results in driving the recognized head
of the party and administration alike
to so desperate resort.