West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-02-26
The TRUSTS CONTROL
They Will Dictate Legislation
by Congress.
THE PEOPLE ARE TO BE POOLED

The Trusts May Permit Mild Lcgis-
President Rooseveit VIII he snti.-
heJ with "sonac Kind OF Action"
Trust legislation is possible. but
hardly probable, at this session of con-
gress. A compromise bin Will pass tho
house OF representatives shorn OF all
that will really curb the trusts. The
bills prepared by Attorney General
Knox and introduced I'm the house OF
representatives by the chairman OF the
judiciary committee were found after
consultation with the Republican man
ayers OF the senate TO be too drastic TO
command "A majority OF the votes, and
n compromise bill is the result which
Is as harmless as n sucking dove.
President Roosevelt, hls attorney gen.
eral. the judiciary committees OF con-
gress and the leaders OF the Republican
party have all had hand In incubat-
ing this innocent bill A prodigious
amount OF work has been expended on
it. for Il is quite difficult TO compose
n bill that will read like n trust buster
and yet be trust shelter. That the
bill Is TO be harmless to the trusts was
acknowledged 10y the personal organ
OF the administration, the Washington
Star. ON Jan. 10. when II said:
Two important facts appear today
In the situation concerning possible
antitrust lcgislation-first the legisla-
ton proposed by the house will not be
drastic: second, that there is disposi-
ton on the part OF the trust interests
TO accept the legislation and permit II
TO go through the senate II II is not OF
drastic character.
Private information comes to the
capitol today from trust sources that
il may be possible TO reach an agree
ment which VIII permit the enactment
OF mild legislation regulating the trusts
and that II assurances can. be given
that the perfected bill will be OF n
character so conservative as 10 merely
satisfy the presidents demand for
some kind of action no obstacles Will
be placed In the way of the bill In the
senate"
These are extraordinary admissions
for tho Star to makc-first, that the
trusts will permit mild Legislation; sec
ond, that President Roosevelt Will be
satisfied with "somc kind of action"
What do you think of that? The
trusts VIII kindly permit congress to
pass q law nominally against them
selvesl So here we have the fat footed
assertion by the newspaper organ of
the Republican administration that the
trusts own congress and dictate any
and all laws they think desirable or
expedient. Democratic newspapers and
orators have claimed this for some
years. but It has always been indig.
nnntly denied until at last the disgrace.
ful truth is admitted.
But what Is the matter with Presi.
dent Roosevelt that he should also
come to be satisfied with any legisla-
ton the trusts may dictatel Is the
trust buster so anxious TO be again
nominated for president that "some
kind OF action" against the trusts will
now satisfy him7 Democratic news
papers and speakers have always Civ
en- the president credit for honesty OF
purpose. whatever his shortcomings
but here we have his personal organ
which is inspired from the White
House, acknowledging that the presl
dent has Joined the other leaders OF hii
party in trying 60 fool the people will
fake legislation against the trusts.
Another eminent Republican at {
crisis in the history OF the country said
you can fool all the people some oi
the time aud some or the people all tn,
time. but you cannot fool all OF tn,
people all OF the time" 1t is to b,
hoped that the people Will not be fooleC
more easily today than they were II
LincoIn's time.