The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-02-23


was formerly the attorney for the
steel trust Ht
The world-Herald comments:
We are now told by the Washington
correspondent Of The Chicago Record
Herald that Mr.. Roosevelt is not in IA
vor Of the Litueheld bill and that MIR.
Littleaeld was surprised by learning
that the president would not encow-
age the passage OF that measure
through the senate. Mr.. Roosevelt
seems to have made a great play in
his alleged exposure of the Rookie
feller kilograms. Can 1t be that in the
trust system there arc wheels within
wheels? Can It be that even after
Mr. Knox took the Bittlefeld bill 10
Pittsburg and after Mr. Knox was en-
tertained at the gsIatial home OF the
great steel trust magnate and after
the Littlefeld bill was trimmed to suit
the purposes OF these trust magnates,
that these gentlemen summoned euf-
ficient courage to object to the pass
age Of the measure even though they
had whitfield it down to suit their own
selfish interests?
Our esteemed contemporary is on a
warm trail, only It does not carry .he
wheels within wheels" postulate to
It's legitimate conclusion. without
doubt these gentlemen summuned
sufficient courage to objee to othepass
age Of the measure" and their doing
so was part of the sand-throwing
game. They put forward Rockefeller
the trust representative of all trust
Representatives, who -embod.esr al
that the American antitrust crusade
hates most. to openly oppose the pass
age Of the bill through the senate,
and so keen were they to lead he
American people to believe that the
trusts scented disaster to their inter.
ests in the pending measure that hey
permitted Mr.. Rockefeller to ovordo
the play by going to the absurd
length OF seEding stop it, telegrams
to United States senators.
This is where the game rests at the
present writing. and we can see where
Mr.. Roosevelt is wise politician
when he foresees the angry outbursts
of buncoed populace and allows it
to be bruited forth that he accepts no
responsibility for the so-called admin
istration antitrust measure known as
the Littleheld bill The trusts win
keep up their pretence of fighting the
bill while secretly instructing their
Representatives in the United States
senate to move heaven and earth to
have it passed through that body.
wheel further, we would not be in the
least surprised If the Quay hold-uD
game in the senate is not a part of
the trust bluff of opposition. and The.
It will be withdrawn, seemingly by
miracle. at the crucial moment. to
lsave the precious bill.
For ways that are dark and tricks
that are vain, trust influence in legis-
lation is peculiar.
However, 1t may be that the anti
trust programme in congress is com
pleted without the adoption of the
lLittlefeld bill--in other words. that
measure may now be superfiuous since
the passage of the Elkins' anti-rebate
bill. the department of commerce bill
with it's publicity appendage, and the
lbill TO expedite the decision of cases
in the federal courts. Walter Well
man. the Washington staff corre-.
lspondent of The Chicago Record
Herald. keen observer and analyst
OF legislative motives, is of the opin-
ion that the official programme Is al
ready completed and nothing remains
but the formality of adjournment.
Mr.. Wellman wires his paper:
II is perfectly understood among
all classes OF people in Washington
that the party leaders set out to per-
form this trick OF riding both horses
in the trust ring and the men who
have engineered the work feel proud
OF their skill They believe they Will
get credit among the people for hav-
ing made a fair beginning against
trust regulation. They know they will
get credit among the trust owners for