The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-20
He Thinks the President Has Not
Played Quite Fair With
Him
The Alleged ''Throw-down on the
Merriam Ingersoll Appoint
ments Considered.
Three Possible Causes for His Vote
in Favor of the Littleheld
Bill Report.
From The Journal Bureau Room s'' i's' Nu''N

From The Journal Bureau, Room 3d. cost nu''a'
ing, Washington.
Washington. Feb. Cot is understoou
that Sena tor Nelson thinks the pres'del'l
did NOT MAY fair with him in the depart
uent of commerce appointments. "A NUM-
her of months ago Mr.. Nelson had an
interview with the president regarding the
prospects for the bill and something was
alsSsaid in u general way about appoint
ments under it, the president remarhi's'
according to the story in circulation mere
that he had not made up his nina iesa'u
ing who should be secretary ana "ou'
not do SO until the bill has passed. lie
said further that before deciding ne
would talk matters over with MT. Nelsoii'
Within two days following this talk
It is said the president told Senator for-
aker he intended to appoint Mr. Cortelyou
and had so intended for some time. MI.
Nelson heard of the Foraker interview
and was. therefore. somewhat prepared
for the throw down which she got early
this week on Governor Merriam and FREQ
Ingersoll 1t is said he went to the White
House with the names Of these gentlemen
merely to make a test 1t Is hardls
thought the president intended to throw
down the Minnesota senator Inc presl-
dent talks a good deal and his 1mpulslVe
and impetuous temperament leads him 70
say good many things carelessly. lie
may have spoken to Senator Nelson in one
of these impulsive moods, but that doesn
alter the fact that Mr.. Nelson is quite
huffy and thinks he has been badly
treated. While in his present frame Of
mind he probably will not go to the White
House to ask for anything in the way OF
appointments.
The Vote for the LittIefeId Bill
Senator Nelson very much wanted to
have Ex-Governor Merriam selected as
secretary Of the new department. But, IN
the event of his failure. he wanted to name
for chief OF the bureau of corporations
Fred Ingersol of St. Paul. Senator Mel
son was sore when he was turned down
on both of these applications and it IS
claimed that his vote in committee for
the democratic trust-busting bill, the Lit
tlefield bill. was the direct result.
Another eXplana ton Of this vote has
to do with state politics. The Littlefield
bill as amended in the senate commit
tee contains an express prohibition of
railway mergers such as the people of
Minnesota have been protesting against
and that particular portion of the bill is
directly in line with public sentiment in
Minnesota as emphasized in the last cam
paign and in the splendid majority given
Governor Van SAINT. 1t may be that the
senior senator from minnesota. for rea-
sons connected with state politics, felt
ne could not vote against reporting a bill
containing such a proposition. although
knowing that the bill never could become
.. law, and that if it did, it would not
stand the test Of the courts.
Again. it is quite possible that Mr.. Nell
son may have supported the amended
Littlefield bill because it expressed his
views concerning what ought to be done
at this time, and that displeasure at be-
ing turned down in the matter Of appoint
ments. or a desire to make merger rec
.f,t@ ,Sro
influenced him This is, perhaps. the
most likely explanation of the situation.
The New Appoint nents.
Tho refusal of the president to appoint
Merriam and Ingersoll does not reflect on
those gentlemen, nor on Senator Nelson.
The Cortelyou and Garfield appointments
were both 'personal'; that is to say, they
did not come as the result OF senatorial
Or other recomm endation, but represent
The presidents personal desire. Every
president has made appointments of that
kind. President Mckinley larger num-
Der than usual, to discharge obligations
incurred in the 1896 campaign. Appoint
uents of that character are always con-
frned because it is we'll understood that
they are never charged up against the
senators from the interested states. For
instance. the Corteyou appointment Is not
charged against either Senator Depew or
Senator Plat, nor is the Garfield appoint
ment charged to the accounts or Sena-
tors Hanna and Foraker. -.
AS the father of the department. OF com
nerce bill Senator Nelson no doubt Eel,
that he would have the right to make sug-
gestions regarding the men to be selected
to fill positions in the new department
and to have those suggestions given due
weight While he feels disappointed. his
failure does not reflect unfavorably upor
him or his candidates. The president re:
cards the new department as of the high
est Importance for trust control and il
has been understood here for a long time
that he would himself select the princi-
nal members of it from his personal &C
u,1aintances. He has done this for rea
sons so obvious as to call for no cXplana
ton. @rr
Bill Represents Democratic Efforts.
The Littleneld bill. as it passed thu
house, and in it's amended form. does no
represent in any ma nner, directly or ind
rectly, the administration view. A
amended in the senate. it does represent
however, an effort on the part of the dem
ocrats to enlbarrass the republicans. No
being clothed with responsibility, and be
ing endowed with that over-stock Of virtu
which is always the nalienaole possession
Of political minority. the democrats
party is ready to find fault with the in
suffcency of the legislation already Ell
acted, to offer in it's stead somethin,
more ana more nearly III I'M
with half-digested public sentiment. an,
then run to shelter, leaving the republican
party with the bag to hold and the work o
F.: explaining TO the country why such AM
such things We're not done.
& In this connection, it ought to be sail
once more that the three antitrust bill
that are now laws represent, not every
thing that the administration wanted bu
everything that it felt it could secure a
the hands, of congress at this time. TIL
president undoubtedly is looking forwar,
to other legislation against the trusts, an,
If he is. the present laws may be regarde,
simply as entering wedges. The informa
ton which will come through the burea,
of corporations will point the way to fur
Their steps possibly in the fifty eight
congress- at any rate at the earliest pos
sible time.
w. w. Jermane.