Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-08-12

siueratiOn OF the people Tor Ills
efforts to curb the trusts. Mr..
Roosevelt started in political life
as strenuous free trader. and was
a member of the New York Free
Trade Club, yet recently, under
pressure from the Protective Tariff
League, he joined the stand
patters, 'and thus stands opposed
to the most certain way of curbing
the trusts and giving relief to the
people-by reducing the tariff
duties. 1t was the Presidents
voice that killed the Littlefield anti
trust bill in the last Congress and
caused the passage of two sham
antitrust bills-the Elkins anti
rebate bill and the Department of
Commerce bill with its Bureau of
Corporations to give publicity TO
trusts. His voice could have caused
his Acknowledgement to 90 after
the coal trust that William Randolph
Hearst had freed with his own
money and solely i'm the interest of
the people. His voice was silent.
Instead of saying, Sick 'em,
Knoxy," he left Mr.. Hearst to
guard the tree alone. The facts are
slowly coming to light in regard
To the new Bureau of Corporations
I'm the Department of Commerce
should open the eyes of the voters
of the country to the real position
of the President on the trust ques-
ton. In discussing the Present
Statistical outlook in Washington"
the correspondent of the New York
Journal of Commerce and Com
mercial Bulletin, on July %. said
of this new bureau: THE work
now laid ont for this bureau is of
really thorough type, and if it is
pursued with vigor ON the lines now
suggested there will BE a good deal
OF complaint i'm the near future
when the methods now contem-
plated are actually applied. Pres
sure of the most strenuous sort
will undoubtedly be brought to
bear at the White House. just how
soon the Department will really
begin To show its hand in the matter
of trust investigation cannot be
certainly predicted, but those who
are in position To know say it will
not be until after the next presi-
dental election. Asa matter of fact.
good deal of time is needed for
the organization of the work and
for laying out special lines of in
vestigation. Al this will consume
many months, and Secretary Cor
telyou is too taetful man to
weaken his strategic position by
opening fire in a presidential cam
paign, if there would be any
danger of hurting his party there
by. il viii, therefore, be good
while before there are any definite
results of the inquiries of the
Bureau of Corporations.
Is there anything i'm this state
ment to brighten the trusts! Is it
not clear that this new bureau will
give the trusts two years more lee
way two years more license To loot
the peoples pockets two years at
900. 600, 900 dollars year! And
what then Publicity That's
all. and more than all, for it is en-
tirely optional with the President
whether any of the facts gathered
by this bureau are ever published
or not. But the facts, when pub
lished, are to serve only rs q basis
for conservative" antitrust leg
islatinn some time in the dim and
distant future.
President Roosevelt fighting the
trusts Rot. He is their best
friend, He, as no other living man,
knows how TO tackle them and ut
the same time make the multitude,
who secs fierce face and vigorous
gestures, believe that he is maui
ing the immortal ichor ont Of them.
The trusts have great need 0f just
such a man at this juncture to save
them from the wrath Of aA cut
ragged people: 1t is part Of their
game that Wal street and the trusts
are to be against Roosevelt this
year, Next year, when the cam
paign is on, it will be found that
the G., O. +, Is getting financial
support from its old-time friends
the trusts, How long, O Lord,
how long viii the people be fooledl
As corroboratiYe evidence that
the leaders of the republican party
are standing In with tho trusts and