The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-07
ANTI.MERGER
A GOOD MOVE
How It Has Stopped an Era
of Combination and
Speculation.
Keynote of the Presidents
Policy Toward the Com
bines Is Fair Play.
New York su, Special se-xroe

Washington, May 7.-President Roose-
welt was told few days ago by one of the
greatest railroad managers in the country
that the Northern Securities suit had
been splendid thing. It came just in
time, he said, to put a stop to a wild era
OF combinations and speculation that
would Lave brought indescribable disaster
in it's wake.
While it is true that President Roose-
and Wall street is threatening his defeat,
Mr.. Roosevelt's friends and intimates
look on that situation with the utmost
placidity. They say Wall street IS not
the country, and that between the enmity
and friendship of the professional gam
much prefers the former. They add that
James J. Hill could not have done the
president better service than by pub
licly threatening to see to it that Mr..
Roosevelt is not nominated or elected if
nominated in 1904. . -.-
President Roosevelt has caused inquiry
to be made as to the status of the steel
trust, the sugar trust and other great
Industrial combines. but he has found no
| warrant for prosecuting them.
He attacked the beef combination be-
cause he was satisfied the SITUATE there
met the conditions which should warrant
appeal to the courts-both violation Of the
law and an injury to the public The
president has been assured by Attorney
General Knox that there is ample proof OF
the paying of rebates to the packers by
the railroads, and that by these means
the big packers have enjoyed an advant-
| age In the cattle market which should
not be tolerated in any free country.
The president has not raised his hands
against big corporations nor against big
| combinations, nor any of the other nat
ural developments of modern Industrial
ism, but he demands that they carry on
their business in such way as not to
portunity for big and little, fair play
The Combines Must Play Fair.
! Here is found the keynote to the presi
dents policy. He will not attack greal
/ Industrial concerns simply because they
are great, nor because they are success
| full. He is not going around with micro
But he is opposed to methods which leave
| the realm of fair business competitio
/ and enter the field Of piracy by secret
! rebates and other conspiracies to crush
out smaller rivals. Wherever he sees a
! head whose ow&-er is greedily engaged IL
trampling on the rule of "equal oppor-
tunity and fair play" he intends to hit it.
The Miles and Dewey Decorations
+ President Roosevelt has not intimated
to the French government that decoration
of Lieutenant General Miles and Admiral
Dewey would be distasteful to this gov
eminent. The published report that such
an intimation had been given is untruth-
full. It is denied in the most positive
manner by all concerned. Denials are
made at the White House by those a,I-
thorized to speak for the president and
at the French embassy for Ambassador
Cambon; also at the state department.
It is authoritatively declared that Presi-
dent Roosevelt never said Or lntimaIed
to Ambassador Ca1nbcn or any one else,
direct or indirectly. that such decora-
tion would be unWelcome. ~. ---....-
There is grain of truth upon which
the whole story was built. The French
government has considered the advis-
ability of comforting the cross of the Le-
gion of Honor upon number Of eminent
Americans in connection withsthe unyeil-
ing Of the Rochambeau statue. General
Miles and Admiral Dewey are among those
under consideration. Feeling "a triae
doubtful in the case of General Miles on
account of recent events Ambassador
Cambon has adroitly "fshed' in various
quarters for expressions Of opinion as to
whether or not the decoration of General
Miles would be agreeable. He has not
asked the question directly of any one,
least Of all the president, and has never
been Informed by any one in authority, or
received intimations that the government
would be disDleased. =.
President Roosevelt would never dream
of conveying such an intima ton. even II
opportunity were given him because heap
preciates fully the impropriety of the head
of the American government having any
part whatever in such an affair. and be-
cause he knows, and has always known
| that by law no present or decoration
can be received BY an American officer
naval or military, without the consent Of
congress, t