The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-12-15
tion agent who approached the presi-
dent; here is what Wellman says:

tion agent who approached the presi-
dent; here is what Wellman says:
Three or four weeks ago President
Roosevelt was approached by a repre-
sentative Of the great interests, such
as the Rockefeller Gould combination,
J.. Pierpont Morgan and e. H. Harri-
man. This representative wanted to
ascertain if an amicable understanding
could not be arrived at. He. said that
the men for whom he spoke were
anxious as to the future OF commerce
and finance i'm the United States. They
hay no fear of anything the president
might do during the coming year, say
ing frankly that they thought the pres
ident would feel constrained to ad-
here to a conservative policy until at
ter the presidential election. What
they were particularly anxious about,
he explained, was the course of the
president after he had acquired
second term and the restraining inf
ence of the need of going before the
bar of public opinion at the polls had
been removed. Was it not possible
for the president to give the New
York men some assurances as to his
policies during his second administra-
ton? Could he not give a pledge
that nothing. would be done which
would destroy business condolences
promise. to abstain from action at
home or abroad which might have
a disastrous effect upon the CONNER
cial world?"
To this reply was made that the
president did not exactly know what
was meant by the question, but ii
it meant that he was TO give a promise
to the effect that he was not to for
ward the interests of the United States
in it's foreign relations as occasion
arose, he certainly could not give
such a pledge as had been suggested.
He would not tie his hands by any
general promise, but would go on just
as he had been going, doing his duty
as he saw fit. If they meant that as
to prosecution of trusts or unlawful
combinations, he should bind himself
to do nothing in the future, he most
certainly could not assent to such a
proposal. He would not go out with
a club in his hands trying to smash
every combination that bore the name
of a trust. Just as he had prosecuted
the Northern Securities company he
might find it necessary to prosecute
other companies, in case the final de-
F#Tear
cision of the courts proved to be fav-
orable to the government. "And lin
ally" quoting the presidents own
words, "as to pledges not to upset
the business prosperity of the country,
if any such pledges are necessary as
condition to my reelection, 1 am not
fit to be reelected @at all. 1 decline
to give any pledges"
In his message to congress Presi-
dent Roosevelt gave due notice to the
interested parties what they could x
pect from him in the future when he
said that there shall be no backward
step and that if the laws needed am
p%lifcation or extension so as to meet
certain emergencies the necessary
amendments could be made. Mean
while they would be administered
with judgment, but with i%nsistence up
on obedience to them, a need " ex-
emplifed in signal fashion by the
events of the past year."
Although it is not exactly drawn
in accordance with his ideas and opin-
ions, still Governor Toole decided to