Saint Mary's beacon., 1903-05-07
[CoMMUEIoATED.

'NNHhAA'NANa'f 10y - ''
Considerable comment has been
caused in political and official circles
of Washington by the publication in
the New York Sun Of an attack or
President Roosevelt for bis course
against the trusts. Beginning with
the assertion that the President was
above all other things a politician,
and was bending every effort to OBJ
tain a nomination, the editorial pro
ceeded to say that Mr. Roosevelt
had, in his attacks upon wealth, cx
ceeded the widest threats Of popu
lism.
The attack caused the administra
ton republican politicians Of the
capital to gasp, for they were not on
the inside Of the game and they
thought it meant war on Roosevelt
and the administration from the com
bined capital aud Wall Street inter
ests and also war on the republican
party after the nominations next
year. They did not know that il
was part Of the play by the tariii
interests TO scare Rooseyeltand stop
any further attack on the trusts by
his administration Although his
assaults so far on the trusts have
been popgun attacks and have not
in the least injured them, get the
trusts want him to let them severe
ly alone and do nothing that will iu
any way attract attention TO them
whether they are hurt or not. In
order to do this they are trying 10
frighten him and his friends. So
far the attacks Of the administration
on the trusts have been confined 10
the beef trust aud to the northern
securities merger TO show that
neither has been elective OF good
TO the public it is only necessary to
remind The people that the northern
securities merger decision has been
so modified that they are still en-
abled to pay dividends 10 the stock
holders, and the beef trust, after
paying some fines, has advanced
the price of meats from ~ TO s. per
100 pounds and the public will have
TO pay the fines in the end. Wheth
en- or not these feeble attacks on
the trusts cease, there is no dispo
sition on the Of the illegal trusts
10 support democratic ticket. The
Washington Star, "a republican or.
gan, gave that snap away when, in
speaking of this attack OF the New
York Sun on Roosevelt and the pos
sibility Of the financial interests ol
the East prefering a conservative
democrat to another term OF Roose
welt said The only trouble woulu
be that the election of democratic
president might carry the election
OF ademocratic House and some dem
ocratic State Legislatures. The big
industrial corporations are not ready
to risk even half a democratic ad-
ministration soon again. That tells
the story in a nutshell. The crimi-
nal trusts are not going to have a
1oY,nnr,4Sa al, mi =, .,n4f,n
can help it. They know who are
their friends and they will stick TO
the republican party This admin
istration may make bluffs at them
that brings them into unpleasant
publicity, but it will never do any
thing that will permanently injure
their graft on the people. Knowing
this they will stand pat. If the peo
pie desire to stand with them and
continue to be robbed, that is the
peoples look out. If they sincerely
desire TO curb the aggressions Of the
trusts they will assist in kicking
out an administration that treats
symptoms but never the disease,
and elect democratic administra-
tion.
###
There is an eager interest here in
all circles anent the proceedings be
fore the Tnterstata Cornnaroa Ccn, |
merce Commission in New York in
connection with the Coal Trust. The
Importance of the investigation is
evidently appreciated, but in some
quarters there is lack Of informa
tion as to the origin Of the inyesti-
CATION. A number of papers have
stated that the Interstate Commerce