The Cairo bulletin., 1904-10-03
BUYING THE PRESIDENT

The New York Times of Saturday
contains remarkable editorial on
his subject 1t is such a ringing do.
cdment and the points discussed are
so vital to every voter in this coun.
Try that the Bulletin is constrained
to publish II in fall 1t is as follows,
Grover Cleveland would have been
impeached by his partisan opponent
! had he even upon a single occasion
stopped 10 practices so tainted with
public immortality as those which
President Roosevelt consents shall be
employed in behalf of his candidacy,
not once, not in a few cases merely.
hu. continuously all the time. and as
deliberated campaign policy. 1t
cannot be said of the activities of
Senator Nelson w Aldrich in solicit
ing and collecting republican cam
paign funds that they directly impli-
cate the president Mr. Aldrich Is
recognized as the mott influential
representative of the trusts in the
United States senate He understands
what they want, he knows what they
fear. But when he assures the offic-
combination that check to the order
of the Republican National commit
tee will secure immunity from execu-
tive molestation under the anti-trus.
Law or otherwise the objects of his
solicitations must judge for Them. 1
selves whether he will be able to keep
his covenant after March 4, 1905.
The pledge or assurance, or whatev- |
or II may have been, that he gave
to the chief men of the tobacco trus. !
when he called for their contribution, |
was evidently kept only in part. The |
treasury order in regard to customs |
stamps upon boxes containing import /
ed cigars has been modified, not res I
ended The Independent domestic |
cigar manufacturers gained their /
point as to the position of the stamp, |
the trust is point as to the color
thereof To be sure. Senator Aldrich /
may reply to the accusations of bad
faith that this was a special case;
that the president was forced 20 turn /
IN asserting ear to the demands of 4
ilo Independent cigar manufacturers
because Of their control Of many thou
sands Of voters, condition not a. all 4
likely TO arise in the case Of any
ctLer Industrial combination Never.
tbcless. the tru Is can in no wise be
sare that the promise Of the sena or
VIII be fulfilled by the senator. They
may elect Mr.. Roosevelt and too late
discover that they have put their
own destroyer in .he White house.
The matter which here concerns
the public is. that the men of the
trusts think and believe that they are
buying, not the presidency. but the
president Senator Aldrich encou.
ages that belief President Roosevelt
permits 1t to be formed and enter
aimed
Very different. UNNECESSARILY more
scandalOus. is the case OF George b.
Cortelyou, who was secretary Of the
of Commerce and Labor
IN Mr.. Ro0sevelt's cabinet. and was
by him against the protest. OF the
party chiefs made chairman of the
Republican National committee. With
Ia the Department OF Commerce there
l. & Bureau of Corporations, which Is
and empowered to inquire
into the affairs Of corporations doing
On interstate business and to pry out
their secrets. The act creating this
bureau is an extension and conti1n- Z
sncc Of the policy which dictated the
of the antitrust law Of I
1890 Conceivably the public welfare !
may be promoted by a rigorsus fed {
eral supervision Of corporations. But
no man would have the hardihood 10 {
assert that any other than private
and political ends are served when !
he chief Of the department which has
become the custodian Of corporation ,
secrets is put at the head Of the par !
iisan committee whose principal func-
ton is to collect campaign contribu- ]
IONS which come chiefly from corp0r.
atoms
That mans moral sensibiIitie1 /
faust be not merely blunted but blot !
tsd out who would fail to see tia. {
he assumption Of these functions by !
MIR. CortelyOu is not public scan I
.iai. a national disgrace The dis
grace is in the trrost sense national 7
since it involves the head Of the ma Z
iicn whose creature. agent. and per {
sonsl representative Is the offender ,