The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-12
THEODORE I ! J. and
PHlL ], 1 \ | J /; !
The Wonderful "Double.Turn' They
Have Been Doing Under the
Calcium Light.
Regulation Of the Railroads Plank
Likely to Call Out swarms Of
Corporation Lawyers.
ON The Journal Bureau, Room AZ, Post Build:

From Inc journal Bureau, Room 40, PoSt Build
ing, Washington HsE1s
Washington, Jan. .12.-Its was rather an
unusual thing to do-the issuance OF that
trust message from the White House the
other night. But Mr. Roosevelt'is given
to doing unusual things. 1T was nearly
midnight and, many newspaper cor-
respondents Were, assembled They had
been given. hint Of Something doing"
later. It proved to be a typewriter
statement, repeating several chunks OF
what Attorney General Knox had said
earlier in the day in duplicate letters to
the senate and house committees. The
whole thing was suggestive sOfaan incident
which occurred a. couple OF weeks ago
when a number Of Indiana statesmen
were calling on the president. Suddenly
the latter jumped from the subject under
discussion to inquire: z-r r.. -,
Have you met my attorney general?
MOI Well, YOU have missed it. You
want to look him UP right away. tell
YOU and the remarks were emphasized
by a resounding whack on the presi-
Dental knee, II tell you he's a cracker
jack! He's a erackerJacky'@-i H. -, -. &
s. That's what the president thinks Of At
torney General Knox He believes that
Knox IS the best lawyer that lever came
up the pike" with apologies for modes Of
expression.) He thinks that if anybody
can get to- the collar of the trusts Ca
metaphor presumably borrowed from the
sporting world), Knox is that man. And
he is banking on Knox discretion and
playing his tip to win (from the race
track.)s The president thought that let
ter on trusts a good thing, and was
anxious to- push it along So he got into
the game and began boosting. And
that's how it happened that Philander and
the calcium. 80 So >. So ~
: It is rather strange that members of
congress have gone: SO widely astray in
the matter of trust legislation. They
have talked of the Sherman law and have
devised all sorts Of radical and impossi-
BILE schemes, and have quite ignored all
the. president said in his message on the
subject = He did not ask for the amend
ment of the Sherman law. In fact, all
good lawyers feel that the Sherman law
has been shown to he a, failure and be-
lieve that the sooner it is wiped off the
books the better If Mr.. Knox spoke his
mind he would say that. :: What Roose-
weld did say4i in his message was that the
evils Of trusts should be. reached by regu-
lation rof the Observation-Disclosures Of inter-
state commerce Obviously, these are
the railroads. An amendment of the in
terState commerce act, :, increasing the
power of the commissions giving them the
right to make rates, making; clear their
power to enforce regulations, and making
on the corporation which offends-touch-
ing its pocketbook, the only place where
it is sensitive, and touching it deeply
that is what he suggested then and what
he. reiterates now. There Is nothing so
radical or dangerous about an amendment
to the interstate commerce act. Several
bills are pending in both branches Of con-
gress; there have been hearings on them,
at which shippers and railroad men have
been allowed to present. their views ad
nauseam. Every phases ofathes question
has been threshed Qyef. until. to the menu
bersE Of the comuA tas4 % eeaems like very
pare straw. Even the railroads do not
object so sttenuously;i they will be fair
~ content Il they are given, i'm exchange,
the right to pool. There is a Wanger bill
which is said to be quite agreeable to the
railroads., and which embodies nearly, if
not quite ALL the amendments suggested
by Attorney General Knox and President
Roosevelt. In the senatorial committee
there is the Elkins bill and the Nelson
bill which are almost Identical. : -
The only new thing, suggested by the
president and the attorney general is
the publicity commission, and this. is far
from radical, being only commission OF
inquiry into the subject and report bill
at some subsequent date. Nothing
And the joke Of it all is that the admin
istration regards the venerable Senator
Hoar and his bill as dangerously radical.
-.- Now Watch the Lobbyists. -.
1t will be interesting now to observe
and see what members Of congress arc
underline influence Of the railroads Git
would sound. harsh to say in the pay of
the rai1roads.J The administration s
antitrust program is of vital interest to
the common carriers They are to be
subjected to, more stringent federal regu-
lation. This legislation is to be. pushed
for business at this session, and is the
lobbies do not throng with high priced
railroad lawyers, during the ! next fifty
dayseit viii be because corporations have
suddenly developed conscience, and have
scruples against influencing legislation.
-::Tilman Says 4'You .ait.">
When the republicans tainted the
democratic senators with lack Of argu-
nent on the coal question, Senator Till
man replied: =" You just wait. We
haven't begun our. work yet. y WHY, we
haven't got over our Christmas DRINKS. .
After having taken q breath he added
a saving clause: 'Those Of us who get
drunk. AS a matter Of fact, Til1man
does not. as,.,.,ss -, -. ri ~, = $500"