Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-06-30


ton. They are portraying him as
heavyweight trust fighter, who is
smashing the trusts right and left.
They tell the people that Wall street
Is dead against Roosevelt and is hatch
Ing all kinds of schemes to prevent
his denomination. They are even in
veTing ingenious stories about the
postoffice frauds, scandals and cor
ruptions, which they hope viii not only
divert well-deseryed blame for this
state of affairs from the President.
who has permitted it to go on foif two
years. but will make political cdpital
out of it for him. They say some of
the principal rascals of the many who
were plundering the postoffice were
to prevent the Presidents
next year. In these sim
pie and absurd ways they expect to
beguiie the voting population of this
country and, according to their own
assurances. they are succeeding. Thus
the Philadelphia Ledger says;
UNLESS all signs of the times be
unreliable no Democratic candidate
for the Presidency can defeat Roose-
veIt, and similarly no Democrat can
carry New York against him. The
Of the trusts, of any
and all vested interests" are finan-
cially powerful, and could swell to
great proportions an anti Roosevelt
campaign fund, but in any contest
fought out to a conclusion at the polls
between them and 1.-The plain people"
of the country, they and their cam
paign fund would cut but sorry
figure. The plain people have the
votes, and they do not forget nor fail
to appreciate that in fighting his win
ming fight against the trusts and west
ed interests" President Roosevelt
fought the plain peoples battles, and
they love him for doing it and for
the enemies he made by doing it,
If these statements be true it is
certainly useless and foolish to hold
political conventions or elections next
year, and. as Mr. Roosevelt viii be
entitled to two full terms on his own
account, the country can take a poll
teal vacation until 1912. In fact, we
might as well make up our minds to
accept the rough-rider as the IMAM
on-horse- back" who will become the
dictator of the empire, J. hich he was
instrumental in substituting for our
late Republic. But are the statements
true? What winning fight against
the trusts" has the President made
that have in any way benefited the
plain people?"
The Presidents reputation as
smasher Of trusts rests largely upon
two court decisions obtained last year
The beef trust was enjoined by the
courts, and the Northern Securities
Company, a railroad con bination, was
declared Illegal in the United States
Circuit Court. In neither case can
any benefit to the plain people" be
detected, even by the aid of the most
powerful microscope. Both of these
trusts are continuing to fix prices and
rates that the people must pay and
it may be said, right here, that no
decision under the Sherman law has
resulted in permanent benefit to the
people. The net result has been that
the trusts have changed their form but
aot their substance. No court de-
cision has permanently lowered prices
Or rates or taken the hands OF the trusts
out of the pockets of the people. Nor
Is it probable that court decisions
while we have high tariffs and other
special privileges which give monopoly
power and encourage combinations and
trusts. We must somehow overcome
these monopoly privileges before we
can hope to get rid of the evils of
trusts. But the President has set his
face against any change in the trust
fattening tariff. He even stopped off,
on his recent stamping tour, to help
strangle the poor little Iowa idea.
which shelter trusts should come off
To be perfectly fair we should state
both sides of the case-'The President
Us. the Trusts" The President not
only withdrew his endorsement Of the
somewhat drastic Littlefield antitrust
bill. last winter, and transferred his
good will to the amendment to the
Department of Commerce bill, which
promises nothing but uncertain publi-
city, but he endorsed and approved
the Elkins bill. which abolished the
criminal clause Of the Interstate Com
merce Act and leaves the great rail
road trust conspirators subject only
to small fines With the penitentiary
no longer staring these criminals In
the face the railroads will continue
to fix rates and pay any occasional
fines. as did the beef trust in Mis-
souri,, after which it proceeded to put
up the price of meats.
Nor is Ii certain that no Democrat
ean carry New York against Roose-
velt. The voters in New York know
Mr.. Roosevelts history. They have
frequently been tricked by him. The
independent voters there. Including
many Democrats. elected him to the
legislature to light the bosses and hos
sism. He began all right. but soon
found himself very lonely. political
H." as his friend Mr.. Poultre Bigelow
tells as, and deserted his reform
friends and became a part and parcel
Of the Boss-Platt machine and an at
tendant at "Platt's Sunday School"
Many New York voters knew him as
4 member Of the New York Free Trade
Club and heard him make red hot
speeches there. once dec.@ring that
be was ready Is die for free trade"
When Lodge and other great Republi-
cans began TO crawl over from free
trade TO protection. Mr.. Roosevelt de
cided TO crawl. too. He resigned on
August 20. 1856. saying: Il am Re
publican first; free trader after
wards"
Again New York voters saw Cover
nor Rooset cit twho. by the way. was