Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-24

not the presidency, but the president.
Senator Aldrich encourages that belief.
President Roosevelt permits it to be
formed and entertained.
Very different, UNNECESSARILY more
scandalous, is the case Of George Il.
CorteIyou, who was secretary of the
department OF commerce and labor in
Mr.. ROosevelt's cabinet, and was by
him. against the protests of the party
chiefs. made chairman of the Republic
an national committee. Within the de-
partment of commerce there is a bu-
reau of corporations, which is authoriz-
ed and empowered to inquire into the
affairs of corporations doing an inter
state business and to pry out their
secrets. The act creating this bureau
is an extension and continuance of the
policy which dictated the enactment OF
the antitrust law of 1890. COnceivably
the public welfare may be promoted by
q rigorous federal supervision OF cor
porations But no man would have the
hardihood to assert that any other than
private and political ends are served
when the chief of the department,
which has become the custodian of cor
llOI SeCItlS, - put 1t bLS iSHN VI
the partisan committee whose prin-
cipal function is to collect campaign
contributions which come chiefly from
great corporations.
That mans moral SensibilitieS must
be not merely blunted, but blOtted out,
who would not fail to see that the as
sumption OF these functions by Mr..
CortelyOu is Il public scandal. nation
al disgrace. The disgrace is i'll the
truest sense national since it involves
the head of the nation, whose creature.
agent and personal representative is
the offender in question. Mr.. Hay and
Mr.. Root have eXtolled the Republican
party as "a party fit to govern. Would
they at the bar of public opinion de-
fend the sending out of Mr.. CortelyOu
as a collector of campaign funds-Mr.
Cortelyou, who has just come from one
public office which gave him large of
fetal power over great corporations,
and who, it is believed, will return to
the presidents cabinet as the iucum-
bent of another Office having still more
important and intimate dealings with
the chief corporations Of the country?
Concrete Instances are more i'm
pressiye than statements Of general
principle Here is one: Chairman Cor
telyOu goes TO one of the officers Of Il
large corporation and informs him
that the Republican national commit
tee expects Il substantial contribution
from his company. The officer in ques-
ton is surprised. He is not of Mr..
Rooscvelt'a party. Neither he nor his
- 1 fg
NEEDLE with politics. He asks for
time t. think it over. In the solitude
of his Office his thoughts run in this
wise: l do not want to give money to
the Republican national committee.
But am trustee of the interests of the
stockholders of this corporation. |
may soon have 10 appear before this
man as a'reprcSentativc of my cOrpO-
ration in q matter affecting its bust
ness, as TO which he VIII have. if not
official discretion. ut least very great
personal and official influence. which
would dislike TO have used against me.
/ cannot let my personal diSiuclina-
tons stand in tie way OF the compa-
ny'S interests. | will make this forced
contribution 10 Mr.. Cortelyou'S fund.
Chairman Cortelyou VIII readily re-
call many concrete instances of this
nature. 1t is typical. In the vast ma
jOrity of cases. however. tie COntribu-
ton is willingly. gladly, generously
given. Here. as in the case of Mr..
Aldrich. the corporations think they
are buying the president. VIII he at
tack a trust that has handed Il great
check to his former private secretary.
future postmaster general: No: when
Mr.. Cortclyou il the collector they feel
in much Surcr sense than in the case
of Senator Aldrich that they are buy
| ing the president. The trusts are all
for him: the great combinations of one
kind or auothc. are fairly loading his
committee down with campaign funds.
At the beginning Of the year. before
Mark Hanna died. any man could hear
Theodore Roosevelt roUndly abused i'll
score Of great Wall street offices.
They abhorred him then; they feared
him: they were determined that he
should not bc the Republican nominee
one of the chief corporation men in this
city who are now gathering in money
for Mr.. Roosevelt was his bitter foe
ten months ago. 1t was the death of
Hanna that wrought the change. Aft
er that they could not beat Mr.. Roose-
welt. They resolved to buy him. They
think now that they are buying him
with the great sums they fling into his
campaign chest.
"Why does Theodore Roosevelt hon
est, upright, incorruptiblc man that lie
is, allow his stainless reputation To he
thus compromised: Nelson W. Aldrich
and George Il. CortelyOu are defilinG
his good name: they are every day mix
ing up his official powers and RESPONSE
bilities rs president of the Unitel
States with his personal and political
interests as candidate of the Republic
an party. The presence of either one
OF these men. without a word spoken,
IN the Office OF q corporation amenable
10 federal discipline Is a scandal. an
implied invitation 10 bride the eXecu-
tive. an offer of immunity from prose
cution for pay. degradation OF the