The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-09-26
ROOSEVELT'S
TRUST REMEDY.

Senator fernando D. Money, of Miss
issippi, was questioned at Democratic
headquarters in Washington Prospecting
the Presidents attitude on the question
of trusts and the report that the Presi-
dent intends eschewing discussion of this
subject during his present tour of the
West. Mr.. Money doubts the prac.ica-
bility of the trust remedy involving a
constitutional amendment as suggested
by Mr.. Roosevelt. He said:
"The President sent message to Con
gress last December suggesting remedy
for the trusts, which was to give publicity
to their doings and bring everything to
the public view. His suggestion was en-
bodied in an amendment to the Census
bill offered by Senator Dubois, and every
Republican voted against it, thus declar-
ing that they were not in accord with the
President on that subject. Mr.. Roosevelt
sent in no message recommending a con-
stitutional amendment for the control of
trusts. If he had done so it is question
whether it would not have met the fate
of his suggestion of more light But he
had patronage to dispose of, and real,
earnest effort on his part probably would
have carried Mr. Dubois amendment to
the Census bill or the Presidents recent
ly proposed amendment to the Constitu-
ton. He attempted nothing while Con-
gress was in session.
He now proposes constitutional
amendment continued Mr.. Money,
(which seems to be the only remedy pre-
sented to his mind. Nobody knows bet
ter than the President the difficulty of
passing an amendment to the Constitution.
Even those amendments which settled
the status of the freed negro as a citizen,
civilly and politically, were only made
amendments by dragooning Southern
States into their support bv the threat of
depriving them of their Fedral relation,
and in the State of Indiana by certifi-
cate that thirds of the Senate had
voted affirmatively, when in fact two
thirds were not present. That question
was imminent and overwhelming and
some settlement was vitality necessary.
Yet, after the heat of the four years con-
flict and the enormous sympathy develop
ed for the negro in the North and the
necessity for fixing his status, which was
obvious to everybody, there was really
no fair adoption of the Fourteenth and
Fifteenth amendments.
Gas a student and writer of history the
President is acquainted with these facts,
and it will be singular if he is not aware
of the difficulty of the constitutional
amendment that be speaks of. 1t sounds
very well to the people. Words are cheap
but performance is difficult. Even if the
required two-thirds vote of each house
could be obtained and the President should
give his signature, then three fourths of
the States must ratify the amendment,
and to say that one fourth Of the Repub-
lican States, at least, are not absolutely
dominstedsby the trusts and their poll
licians would be too absurd and would
torture credulity. One who fears the
power of the trusts and recognizes their
terrible menace to free institutions can
take little comfort from any utterancc Of
President Roosevelt on this subject, and
giving him credit for some knowledge, it
is difficult to give him credit for sincerity
If he is sincere, then he is repudiated by
his party, and no hope of reform in this
particular can be expected by the public
from the Republican party and its Presi-
dent