Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-05-06
FROM WASHINGTON
Special Correspondents of the counIFn.


cles of Washington by the publi-
cation in the New York Sun of an
attack upon President Roosevelt for
his course against the trusts.
Beginning with the assertion that
the President was above all other
things politician, and was bend
ing every effort to obtain nomi-
nation, the editorial proceeded to
say that Mr.. Roosevelt had, in his
attacks upon wealth, exceeded the
widest threats of populism.
The attack caused the Admins
tration Republican politicians of
the capital to gasp, for they were
not on the inside of the game and
they thought it meant war on Roose-
welt and the Administration from
the combined capital and Wall
street interests and also war on the
Republican party after the nomi-
nation next year They did not
know that it was a part of the play
by the tariff interests to scare Roose-
welt and 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, yet the trusts want him to
let them severely alone and do
nothing that will in any way at
tract attention to them whether
they are hurt or not. In order to
do this they are trying to brighten
him and his friends. So far the
attacks of the Administration on
the trusts have been confined to
the beef trusts and to the northern
securities merger. To show that
neither has been effective of good
to the public it is only necessary
to remind the people that the north
ern securities merger decision has
been so modified that they are still
enabled TO pay dividends to the
stockholders, and the beef trust,
after paying some fines, has advan-
ced the price of meats from 81 TO
50 per 100 pounds and the public
will have To pay the fines in the
end. Whether or not these fee
ble" attacks on the trusts cease.
there is no disposition on the part
of the illegal trusts to support a
Democratic ticket. The Washing
ton Star, a republican organ, gave
that snap away when, in speaking
of this attack of the New York
Sun on Roosevelt and the POSSIBLE
ity of the financial interests of the
east preferring a conservative Dem
ocrat to another term of Roosevelt
said: The only trouble would be
that the election of a Democratic
President might carry the election
of Democratic House and some
Democratic state legislatures.
The big Industrial corporations are
not ready to risk even half a Dem
Ocratic Administration soon
again. Teat tells the story in a
nutshell. The criminal trusts are
not going to have "A Democratic
Administration if they can help it.
They know who are their friends
and they will stick to the Repub-
lican party. The present 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. Know.
ing this they will stand pat. II
the people desire To stand with
them and continue to be robbed
that is their look out. If they sin,
cerely desire to curb the aggressions
of the trusts they will assist il
kicking out an Administrator thai
treats symptoms but never the dis
ease, and elect Democratic AID
ministratiOn.
There is an eager interest her,
in all circles anent the proceeding
before the Interstate Chmmerc,
Commission in New York in con
nection with the Coal Trust. Tn,
importance of the investigation il
evidently appreciated, but in som,
quarters'there is lack of informa
ton as to the origin of the Investi
CATION. A number of papers hay,
stated that the Interstate Com
merce Commission set itself in mo
ton at the instance of Unite,
States Acknowledgement Knox
That is an extraordinary missap
prehension of the situation. TIL
truth is that the investigation