Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-09-12
WASHINGTON LETTER,

Washington, Sept. S.-Either Mr..
Roosevelt is developing into master
full politician or else he has some ex.
ceptionally clever advisers, is the YER
dict OF the democratic managers in this
city. His apparent desire to accom-
plish control of the trusts was a sur
prise to the democrats involving as it
did, clever scheme for diverting pub
lie attention from the one essential
remedy, tariff revision, but he has car
ried the game still farther and has
succeeded in getting Senator Platt to
announce that be will not favor the
endorsement OF Mr.. Roosevelt in the
New York republican state convention,
and aided and abetted by the leading
republican papers has created the i'm,
preston that Wall Street is against
him. With those persons who do not
see through the ruse the scheme will
prove successful. The large majority
of the people have come to regard Wall
Street as adverse to their interests,
and rightly SO and general impression
that Wall Street is opposed to Mr..
Roosevelt will make for his popularity
on all sides.
A careful examination of the facts,
however, does not warrant the PROPOSE
ton that Wall Street regards the
President with aversion. He has done
all that the Street could ask and more.
The tariff is the mother of trusts. Ev-
cry careful observer knows that, and
Mr.. Havemeyer, of Sugar Trust fame,
has stated so when placed under oath
by the Industrial Commission. The
President has carefully avoided any
reference to the tariff in his speeches
and has in the main defended the trusts.
He has admitted that some trusts were
pernicious but has implied that the
majority were not and has advocated
a remedy for the control of the injuri
GUS ones which can not be applied for
years and not, at least until most of
those at present interested in the
trusts shall have passed to their long
reward. Should the next House of
Representatives be strongly democrat
ic, there"is absolutely no reason to be-
lieve that the Senate which can not
become democratic for at least six
years, would sanction constitutional
amendment which might prove mimi
cal to the interests of the trusts in |
which they are generally speaking large
shareholders. We're the next House |
to remain republican, it Is more than
probable that such an amendment as |
would be proposed by the republicans
would contain features which the
democrats could not afford to support |
and in any event the Senate would de-
feat it. Again, assuming that Con-
gress passed through both its branches
the amendment advocated by the
President can any sane man imagine
the New Jersey legislature, for instance
it2 Can any one imagine
the Ohio legislature, under the dicta
ton of Senator Hanna approving 1t
Can anyone imagine the Pennsylvania
which is completely under
the domination of Senator Quay, CIV
ing It's ratification, of the West Vir-
ginia legislators voting for it without
the consent Of Senator Elkins, which
they would never gets Every promi.
nent democrat in Washington declares
that the Presidents proposed remedy
is impractical and chimerical and is
only as blind to circumvent
the demand of all democrats and of the
western republicans for a removal of
the tariff on trust made goods.
Under the circumstances there can
be little faith in the statement that
Senator Platt or his proteges In Wall
Street are opposed to Mr.. Roosevelt {
and the only alternative is the PROPOSE
tiOn that they are assuming their pres !
emit attitude to make the President {
more solid with the farmers. {