West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-01-22
REFORM IS POSTPONED
Administration VIII Leave the
Trusts Undisturbed.
LuKEwARM PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

Nothtnss-rhe Daronz no Not Fear
Trust Controlled Connres. - rarfa
VIII Ccntinuc to Protect the Trust.
ana Rob the People.
The fight In the ranks OF the Ropub.
hcan party on the trust and tariff Is
sues has resulted In tho triumph of the
Hanna faction. Lot well enough
alone" or do as little ns possible. Ia to
DO the programme In congress and not
vigorous reform OF nhusca which was
promised before election.
IL had been fondly hoped that prosi.
dent Roosevelt would add the weight
OF his great office To the side OF tho
people and urge reform. But To the
great regret OF all who believe In
equal rights to ali and special priv
iloges TO none the lt,xowarm recon.
mendntions In tho presidents message
are Victory for tho do nothlnga.
Strange TO say, there Is no specific rec.
omtnendation In the whole message for
a law TO prevent the cxtortIons OF the
trusts or tho subsidies granted them
by tho protective tarlfr. IL Is not the
production OF tho strenuous Roosevelt.
but the glittorlng gencralitics of tho
anxious politician. intent on pleasing
all factions and especially tho stron.
gest.
IL Mr., Morgan or Mr.. Rockefeller
had been president and had written the
message or decided upon it's contents
IL could not have been moro conservn.
tive and the intention made more evi.
dent that no legislation of consequence
VIII bo attempted 10y congress. The
financial Kings OF Wall street, through
their senatorial and congressional al.
lies, appear TO have by the force OF
numbers dcludcd the president into tho
beliof that there Is great danger OF dis
turbing the business OF the country if
any reform IN oven attempted Tho
presidential chariot has been hitched TO
the Juggernaut OF Will street. which
ruthlessly ignores the cries OF distress
OF those under their feet The presl.
dentinl recommendation for tariff
commission has for weeks been the
demand OF the principal Wall street
organ. II being well known that the
procrastinnting workings OF such
body would hinder rather than accel-
ernte reform. In fact, President Roosc.
welt emphasizes this when he says.
THE unhurricd and unbiased report of
this commission would show what
changes should be made I'm the various
schedules"
"Unhurry" IN Just what Wall street
and the trusts desire. Furthermore.
the president has been led 20 believe
that reforming the tariff by removing
the protection that allows the trusts 10
sell their products cheaper to foreign.
crs thnn to our people would be Who'll
ly Ineffective" Thus the beef trust.
the conl trust, the steel trust and the
hundred other trusts. as far ns the tar
IN Is concerned. are TO have free rein
to continue their eXactiona. But Pres.
idcnt Roosevelt recommends that the
duty on anthracite coal be repealed,
though he acknowledges that such nm
amendment would only be OF service In
such crisis as was produced by the
coal strike. He does not recommend
that btumInOus coal should also be
free. though that would be OF greater
benefit IN regulating the price OF fuel
at all times.
Regarding the power OF congress TO
regulate the trusts the president is evil
IDENTIFY In an uncertain mind and mikes
no specific recommendation or sugges.
tions. lie. however, acknowledges thnt
II may be necessary to amend the con
stitution TO give more power to con-
gress.
IL Is safe to say that the present con
gress will pass no Legislation that will
injuriously affects the trusts on relieve
the people from the cxOrbltantly high
priccs Of the necossarics OF life that the
protective tariff now allows the trusts
10 impose. An attempt Will DO made In
the next congress 10 amend the anti.
trust law. and some change or addition
may be accomplished I'm view OF the mp
preaching presidential election, but that
any legislation that Will regulate the
trusts IN the public interest or prevent
them from extorting all the present
laws Will allow Is hardly possible un.
less the whole power OF the admlnistra-
tion should by somo miracle be thrown
on the side OF the people. and this Pres.
ident Roosevelt evidently does not in
tend TO countenance.
Thus the issues are joined between
the Democrats and the party I'm power,
and the final battle Will be fought I'm
the national campaign OF 1904. Who
can doubt the result7 On the one side
VIII be the great mass Of consumers
who find their incomes squandered 10
oil the pockets OF the trust mngpstcs;
on the other side IS the Republican, ma
chine, with its Wall street allies. The
machine is discredlted IN some states
even by the voters Of the party Il repre-
scnts and would be discarded by the
voters everywhere n the contributions
and official patronage were not so large.
y used 10 maintain g. Yet IN spite of
n lukewarm president and trust con
troiied congress reform is certain. and
the longer II Is postponed the more rad