The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-01
"FEELERs" PUT OUT
How the President Is Trying to As
! certain Public Opinion on
5l Trusts, Etc.
Wall Street Still Fears That the
President May Be Too Siren
s-, uous After His Election.
From, The Journal Bureau, Room z5, Posa
Building, Warrington, 80

From, The Journal Bureau, Room A5, Pose
BltIdinD, Wsshingtots'
Washington, Sept. 1.-The country is |
following with marked interest President
Roosevelt's addresses, delivered in New /
England and elsewhere for a hint to |
what his future policy is to be towards
the trusts. He has made it very plain |
that he has not changed front as to Cuba |
and will insist that congress next winter |
enter into a reciprocity arrangement with
the new republic; but on the trust ques- |
ton he has been more cautious. He has |
not gone far beyond his first message to
congress, in which he advocated publicity
as effective remedy. His addresses, so
far as the tNlsts are concerned. have been
in the main confined to a judicious dis
cussion of the general question from
high plane, and a presentation or the pros
and cons. The significant thing about this
subject is the attention which the presf-
dent gives it. 1t is clearly his intention
to take the question up with the country
again, at the opening Of congress, and his
late summer and early autumnal ad-
dresses are going out in the gulse OF
.'feelers.'' The country will read them
carefully, express itself regarding them,
and in this way give the president an &C
!curate reflection of the state Of public SEN
timent. He will then be able to write his
annual message the more intelligently,
for he will know what the country wants,
ana IN what 6StlC1dtlou HAS aOIn1l1ASll aIAoA
Is held
Between the president and the several
members Of his cabinet, all Of the great
questions of the day are to have hear
Ing before November. AS already noted.
the president is combining himself largely
to the trusts and to Cuba. Secretary
Shaw's addresses, which were submitted
to the president in manuscript before their
delivery have been confined to the tariff.
Secretary Root, on his return from Eu-
rope, will make several speeches in the
east on the question Of imperialism, with
especial reference to the Philippines. At
torney General Knox, upon his return
from Europe, will, in one or two ad-
dresses, cover the trust question with es-
pecial reference to pending litigation
against the beef trust and the railroads.
In the meantime the president has Car
roll D. Wright, commissioner of labor,
in Pennsylvania, making a detailed inves-
tigation Of the anthracite labor question.
Colonel Wright's report will be in the
presidents hands In time for use before
election, should the need arise.
Attorney General Knox, just prior to
sailing, said to the New York newspaper
men that, in his opinion, congress would
take up the trust question next winter,
determined to do something. What that
something will be nobody yet knows. Wall
street Is slowly making up its mind that
the president Is in earnest, and financial
Opposition to him is beginning to crystal
Ilize. The chief difficulty In the way,
however, is a candidate who will represent
that opposition. Senator Hanna Is too
wise to declare himself and so it is en-
tirely possible that Roosevelt will be NOM
mated in 1904 without opposition, and will
then take up in earnest some aggressive
policy. Thus far he is endeavorine to
carry out the policy Of his predecessor
Wall street has been reading Secretary
Shaw's tariff speeches with much con-
Germ. Notwithstanding the presidents
well known views in favor of tariff reform,
1t is noteworthy that the Shaw address
were distinguished more for what they did
not say than for what they did. If a sum
ming up Of those addresses is possible /,
might be said that they admitted thai
some of the Dingley schedules were illog.
;1cal, but that the time had not yet come
for changing them. Wall street distrustl
the president as much on the tariff as or
the trusts, and believes that If elected
IN 1904 he will champion radical revision
ana at the same time ardently demand 6
constitutional amendment placing full
g power to regulate these great combina
tions Of capital in the hands of congress
AS a political issue, imperialism ha,
petered out and so Secretary Root
appearance on the stump will not awake,
the interest that would have accompanie,
IT, mad the democrats been able to gal
Van1ze this old issue into a semblance O
life At the same time, however. tn
Root point Of view Of this question vii
be important, and what he says vii
come with the full authority and approva
Of the president.
Perhaps there will be more popular In
terest in what the attorney general vii
say about the trusts than there will be i
the utterances Of any Of the other cabi
net officials. Mr.. Knox understands tn
question from both sides, and in add
ton is very able lawyer and an enter
tanning public speaker.
With the president and three leadin
members of his cabinet on the stun
this fall, the public should have no com
plant regarding the sufficienoy Of it's in
formation, at first hands, regarding tn
policy Of the administration.
w. w. Bermane.
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