The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-01-18
IT'S ANTITRUST OR BUST
The President Has Pitched His Policy
and Will Not Yield.
THE POLITICIANS ARE AGAINST HIs
They win Defeat His Projects at This
Session; Try to Defeat Him and
Win With Money
By c. Arthur wnliamsl

(By C. Arthur Nlluamsl
washington, January 4.-tstan Core
spondence.l- great many people wAe are
interested In the trust question are now
wondering Just how much In earnest ths
president Is when he declares that Sorne
ieEiulation must be enacted during the
present session. few months ago, or
even few weeks ago, there would have
bseu no room for doub; on this score, not
even among republicans. But the develop
ments Of the immediate past have oroueAt
with them a change IN this feature. Then
ninety men out of every 100 one met, LIRE,
sraotJye Of their poliucsl opinions, would
have said that the president vas meie ..a
playing politics and that be was no more
IN favoy OF doing anything TO hurt tne
trusts thsn were the lenders OF bis party,
who have protected them ever since tney
came into existence Now practically all OF
the republicans and considerable nunDer
Of democrats entertain opposite views
And from :he standpoint OF 4 dlsinterested
observer Il appears that they have rather
good reason for this change Of mind
Everybody remembers that the hrst ont.
break Of the president against trusts was
during his nrst tour OF New England last
summer. The fact that his attitude was
not in line with the traditions OF his party
was widely commented on and the demo
cratic press and more than one influential
republican paper expressed the opinion that
Mr.. Roosevelt was again trying 10 MAKE
u play to the galleries for the purpose OF
influencing sentiment at the November elec-
tion. After that came the famous confer
enee at Oyster Bay. when Senator Hanna,
Senator Aidrich and others begged the
president to make no more antitrust
speeches and TO nnd some excuse for. post
poning the proposed tour OF the Northwest
during which, II had already been an
rounced. he was TO make series OF aec.
larations Whether the president was
ubdurate then and afterward repented, or
whether II was decided that Il would ne
impossible to call the trip on just At tAat
stage is 4 matter much beclouded with
SotSIt. However II was, the fact remains
that the iunket was commenced ana thst
enc speech touching on the tar1n ans toe
trusts was made before that trHumshsln
In the presidents left anterior tioiai region
commenced TO get preferred position on the
Hrst page Of the newspapers. II may ne
that the effect OF that traumatlsm-othe
vIxe a simple bruise on the presidential
shin-was arranged for during the Oyster
Bay meeting or otherwise II seems al
NEST incredible that the president OF thC
United States and some Of the leading meu
Of his party should lend themselves 70 such
sordh deception, and yet there are PEG
pie In Washington and elsewhere to4al
who still think there was something Hbou'
the affair which was never given to tbs
puAlic. Ii was inconceivsble, these people
argue, that such n thing rs simple bruis'
could have had 50 decided an effect on on
Of Mr.. Rocscvelt's tempeTamental and ply
steal qualities.
Anyway. me president did not compiet
the Northwestern trip and for shor
time the republicans heard comparstivel
little about the trusts from him. Whe
congress convened the president plaini
told lis lleutenants that he wanted som
antitrust legislation. They Thought. 9
course, that the only thug TO be done wa
to fool the people some more, but the
nave since found that whatever fooling
10 be done must be done In the RoosTeltia
way. The president has on several occ,
slons told the leaders that something tang
bic must be done, and has Wthln the pa
few days backed up these DECLARATION
with his Endorsement Of the Knox AM
trust suggestions which are now beio
congress So far rs outward appearance
IRE concerned, II must lie admitted IN
toe president has been consistent In urgii
the enactment OF legislation.
Any itlmation from this writer that q
president IS really sincere In his anti.tru
vipwK would no doubt appear very nut
out OF place IN view Of what has heen "a
on that subject IN this correspondence
the past But In all cHndor, and in siinp
iustfea TO Mr. Roosevelt. II must be 81
that he is either really In earnest In b
declare tons that the trusts must be curh'
or else ne has gotten himself into a p9'
tlon where he feels the necessity OF doh
ANYTHING to make coOd'-of going 10 q
extent even. OF cutting away from II
leaders Of his party and advocating pom,
which he knows is absolutely distastet
To them IN the hope Of making such an II
preston on the people as to win the non
nation for n second torn despite the OPT
sirioa Of the politicians.
This In the minds Of more than one vi
Informed person, IS exactly what the pre-
degt has done He Is erratc, strenuot
n you please; lmpulsive not too well bi
nnced. by any means--in short Just Z
sort Of man whom opposition only max
all the more determined to carry poll
not to be doubted that he Is having opT
Aition in the present Instance With {
exception OF a very few prom!rNnt membe
Of his party the president stands NhSoln'
" alone on the trust questlon-nssuml
thut his alleged attitude Is his real nj
tude Old leaders of the party have hegg
md pleaded and urged and threatened
TO no avail The president has set his mi
on antitrust legislation and antitrust leg
lation he wants the public TO believe he "
have. There will be no. such legtslatic
uGd,egItand TIE rsGp6iieans, In cSnSTI
By Mr.. Roosevelt in matter like this,
pecially since thev. and not MI Rooseys
make the laws. They viii tnpe chances
be'rg held responsible for failure to EN-
tie detirei legislation. They reason II
fhsT may lose few votes IN the ordinf
course Of events, perhaps. hut that n
which. from the republican standpoint,
the essential thing. The trusts, ron 3
can huy back wfntcver votes are ]
snq Dgsn too PeTs sE tS fof @C what
average republican thinks.
~
When the present session Of congress ei
on the 4th Of March and the much-talked
antitrust legislation Is still lacking,
president will have new question TO c
tend with. It will then be up to him
decide whether or not TO call spe'
session for the purpose Of taking furt
action in the premises Such special ,
sion would be a part OF tine Flfty-elg
congress and whatever Is done at this
IT