West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-09-17
VIRGINIA. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER II. 1903.
TRUSTSARE IN CONTROL
Bureau Of Corporations to Stave
OFF Evil Day For Them.
NOTHING DOING FOR TWO YEARS.

Under the Pr~.ideaes Dirsctaen
"r~csfui" Ccrtelyou VIII s~ .or-
sani.ias" Until After niectio. os
ioot-rhen That wenaersui .pub-
isctty' May Have an xnnaas.
II President Roosevelt II neglected
next year Il will be simply ana solely
because a majority OF the voters sin-
ccrely believe that he 10 helping them
TO fight their battle with tho trusts.
SO odious have the hundreds OF pro-
tected trusts become, both I'm the ores
OF consumers and investors, that no
man who openly favors them can hope
20 be elected to any kind OF public Of
fce. II IN not strange, then, that Prcsi-
dent Roosevelt is seeking 20 havo tho
public believe that ho Is an enemy Of
all bad trusts. assuming that there nre
some good ones.
But what did tho president ever do 20
really injurc great corporutionsf Al.
though he began political life as a
strenuous free trnder, yet he recently,
under pressure from the Protective
Tariff league. joined the stand patters,
and thus stands opposed TO tho most
certain way OF curbing the trusts and
giving relief to the people-by reducing
tho tariff dutics As governor OF New
York. he called an extra session OF the
Legislature TO pass amendments TO the
Ford bill 10 tax the franchises OF the
public service corporations. The
amendments were prepared by tho COR
poration attorneys, and were intended
TO make tho act unconstitutional. Tho
courts have not yet, after four years of
lost time, fully decided tho case. II
was the presidents voice that killed
the Littlencid antitrust bill In the last
congress and caused tho passage OF tho
sham antitrust bills, the Elkins anti
rebate bill and the department OF Am-
merce bill. with its bureau OF corpora
tions 10 give publicity 10 trusts.
The facts that are slowly coming to
light In regard to this new bureau
should open the eyes OF the voters to
the real position or the president on tho
trust question. In discussing the
Present Statistical Outlook In Wash
ington," tho correspondent of the New
York Journal OF Commerce and Com
morcial Bulletin said on July 27 OF this
new bureau:
The work now laid out for this
bureau is OF a really thorough type,
and II IL Is pursued with vigor on the
lines now suggested there will be
good deal OF complaint I'm tho near
future when the methods now contem-
plated are actually applied. Pressure
or the most strenuous sort will un-
doubtedly be brought 10 bear at the
White House. Just how soon the de-
partment will really begin 10 show It's
hand In the matter OF trust investiga.
lion cannot be certainly predicted, but
those who are In position TO know say
IL will not be until after the next presi-
Dental election. As q mntter OF fact,
good deal OF time 10 needed for the or
ganization OF the work and for laying
out special lines of Investigation. All
this Will consume many months, and
Secretary Cortelyou IL too taetfui a
man to weaken his strategic position
by opening 6re in presidential cam
paign IL there should be any danger OF
hurting his party thereby. II win
therefore be good while before there
are any definite results OF the inquiries
OF the bureau OF corporations"
Is there anything In this statement
TO frighten the trustsf IL II not clear
that this new bureau will give the
trusts two years more leeway-two
years more license 10 squeeze the peo.
pie and extract money from their
pockets-two years at 81 900 900, 900 n
Year, And what then2 Publicity.
That's ali, and more than all, for Il is
entirely optional with the president
whether any OF the facts gatbered by
this bureau are ever published or not.
But tho facts, when published, are In
tended 10 serve only as basis for
conservative" antitrust Iegisla ton
some time in the dim and distant
future.
Is President Roosevelt fighting the
trusts7 He Is their best friend. He,
ns no other living man, knows how
20 tickle them and at the same time
make the multitude, who sees his 1efes
face and vigorous gestures, believe that
he IL mauling the life out Of them.
The trusts have great need OF just such
q man at this juncture to save them
from the wrath OF an outraged people.
IL Is n part OF their game that Wall
street and the trusts are 10 be against
Roosevelt this year. Next year, when
the campaign is on, II viii be found
that tho q. o. 7. IL getting financial
support from It's old time friends, the
trusts. Byron w. Holt