The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-07
ROOSEVELT AND THE COMBINES.


No President, by any single act ever commanded
more hearty response from all the people OF the country
without regard to party than is being accorded Pres
dent RooseveIts demand for the enforcement of the
antitrust law notably in the merger" and the meat
trust cases Aagnates may storm and capitalists
threaten financial pancs and business prostraon, but
the body of the people VIII not fail to stand by him.
The news comes from Washington that the repre-
senatves Of the greater combines are arranging to have
the State Republican Convention Of Kansas fail or re
fuse to endorse the administration and attitude Of the
President Such attempt if successful would reno
the party in this state. great majority of Kansas Re
pubcans are the beaest accord with the President
not only his determination to enforce the antitrust
law but in his effort to make good McKnleys promise
Of Cuban reciprocity without regard to the demands of
the sugar trust Indiana Republicans, in state conyen-
ton endorsed this policy and viii Ohio The trouble
in the Senate comes OF pressure of all the combines
and trusts making common cause against the principle
urged by Blaine and advocated by Mckinley and which
was SO euphatcaly endorsed by the National
publican Convention. Roosevelt his farther declara-
tion that he will immediately reconvene Congress in the
event Of its failure to redeem our promise to Cuba also
meets the hearty concurrence Of the great masses Of the
people without regard to party surely CT the great
jority Of the Republican party.
The Chicago Record Herald editorialy belittles the
staggering Of the combines and their threats defeat
Roosevelt for the nomination in 1904 In the first place
Roosevelt has never intimated that he desires such
honor The paper named goes on to say:
There is something approaching the ludicrous in
the Inconsistency Of the beef packers in regard the
institution Of a suit by the United States charging them
with entering itno illegal combination When the
probability of SUCH proceeding first suggested there
was general chorus from the corporations involved
welcoming the searching inquiry into their meth
DDS They declared that would result in proving that
the high price Of meat was due to natural causes
Now however, instead OF fastening to the aid OF
the government ana putting their books its disposal
in order that the fullest light may be thrown on their
relations with each other aud with both ends the
ket they unite in Macedonian cry against The exposure
OF their business by what they regard as prosecution
for political effect
TO the public it seems more than absurd that gov
ernmenta action should be courod and deprecated in
almost the same breath.
We hear. too great deal Of the threats made by
James Hin and others against the action Of the Pres
ident in ordering proceedings against the railway merger
and the Republican party is warned CT the less o heavy
contributions To the campaign fund unless the su IS
dismissed or allowed To slumbor in inocuous desuetre
The attempt is made frehten ha President ana the
country in Consress ana the next presidential election
unless he promptly reverses his policy Of prosecuting
offenders gpdor The antitrust law Party leaders are
shaking their heads the wilEunesz Of The Prez
dent and are asking where the snew5 cf war are To
come from If he continues 20 enrage the big eonso5a
lions with prosecutions and injunctions.
~As matter Of fact however. the President has
made the first political strike Of his administration by
seeking to enforce the statutes against the great uea
and railway combines lie was accused CT playing poll
tics and playing them ebominalyfor no one ever fan
oed that he would be fayori-e WIKI the politicians
and he losing with the people who alone could force
the leaders to accept him for second term
"s3ut the suits against the railway and rnea1 con
bnations meet popular expectancy Ct Theodore Rose
welt The have the courage. the rashness Of honesty
that the people have been Led 70 look fer and admire N
him Il matters not wat mag become Of these suits
in the courtsn the larger field national politics they
have tEhtened the hold OF President Roosevelt on the