The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1903-04-14

correspondence thar ,1e sn cai,el
"snu-trusi" hnls Wh'vs the repuhi.
cans permitted 10 become laws last
wiu'e, vii n ~" way hpueGi the
people ~ cnrh the tras,s. There is
n"lhing in The party record and
nothing ~ the hiiis. except the ,i'le-.
that tnreh''d de ev,t 60 the trus's. Il
will, therefore, surprise few men Ia
know that the real authors uf he
bills are the trusts themselves-the
very ones that tried to hondwin the
people by sending kilograms To the
Senators ordering them not To pass
these "anti trust" bills The New
York Journal of Commerce and
Commercial Bulletin of March %,
contain the story Of the authorship at
tiae Etkins anti.rebate bill. 4 dis.
patch to That paper at tina, date from
Chicago says that at meeting of
western railway executive officials To
discuss the Elkins law, it WAS stated
that A. j. CasSSlr. president of the
Pennsylvania; Paul Merton, Second
Vice President 1T the Santa r.: md
+, ID Kehua, First Vice. President
and general Counsel of the same road:
are authors OF the hill. 1t is stated
that the first draft of the bill was
made by MIR. Kenna end embodied
the ideas of the three men named.
This draft was submitted tn the Presi.
dent, the Attorney. General and the
charm: n uf the Interstate Com
merce Cptnmission, and subsequently,
was amended. AS finally intruduc
ed, however, the bill was essentially
the bill prepared from the suggestions
made by Messrs. Cassatt, Morton aud
kenna, after repeated conferences u,
the White House MI. Morton says
oi the law: Il believe the act will Sc.
cure the maintenance of freight aud
passenger rates, and this will be Of
inestimsble benefit TO the entire
country, the railroads, the shippers
and tO consumers"
There is no doubt in the mind
at any sane man that the bill will
benefit railroads. hut his statement
that it will benefit shippers and con
sumers is u gratuitous insult To the
Intelligence of the people of the coun.
try. The railroads can he benefited
only by increased freight rates, and
these must be paid by shippers and
consumers. The railroads will get
the benefit and the people will pay
the freight. 1t is case of "heads |
win and tails you lose"
Even in the face of these facts the
republicans will still continue To FALL
the Elkins law an antitrust measure.
The people can't beat such a game So
long MS they allow the trusts and the
republican party to shuttle and deal
the cards and hold the stakes as we'll.
The President of the United States
has started on another huge swing
around the circle " hich he modestiy
calls an "unpretentious little outing
for the purpose of avoiding publicity
Let MS see about that. The schedule
csll1 for about 200 speeches and the
party accompanying the President
consists of two secretaries, one doctor,
three stenographers. two secret ser
vice men, one poet naturalist, repre-.
sentatives Of illustrated papers,
representatives OF three press assucia.
tions, one official photographer. and
two telegraph opera tors. What a
delightfully."- original way Of avoiding
publicity. IL is surprising that he
did not take along a brass band with
which to hunt those bears. The
truth OF the matter is that the gentle.
man who occupies the highest civic
position in the country is never 81
happy as when he is in the limeiight
on the front OF the stage This trir
is siumping tour pure aud simple
He wants that nomination a hear
more than he wants those bears, and
he is not overlooking any bets that
will pile up the blue chips IN front OF
him.
said sometime ago, in this CORES.
pOndence. that the President would
call All extra session Of the 5Slh Con
Gress some time in The early part oil
next September. missed il about
a month. as it is now given out from
an official source that the extra session
will be called early in October. 1t il
gwen out as the 0stensible reason
that this extra session il TO be called
for the puTpOse of disDosinp finally oi