The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1905-05-23
WARNED TO TAKE FEET OUT OF
TROUGH.
STIRS UP BIG SENSATION
Order For Buying Abroad If Necessary
Modified-Purpose Has Been
Secured.

Chicago, May 21.-Walter Wellman
in a Washington special to the Rec
ordHerald says: .....
After stirring up the biggest politi-
cal sensation of the year with it's
Panama canal policy of buying in
the cheapest market, the administra-
ton has slightly modified it's program
in the interest of peace.
Instead of buying foreign ships to
carry materials and supplies to the
isthmus, the government will lease
vessels abroad to tide over the pres
ent emergency. If, later on, American
shipbuilders make advantageous prop
ositions to build ships suitable for the
use of the canal commission the gov
ernment may buy at home.
Appeals by Cannon.
Speaker Cannon and other inf1uen-
tial men have begged the president
not to go too far with his new policy,
and the president has said that he
had no desire to discriminate against
American manufacturers or shipbuild-
ers.
| What he has insisted upon and still
insists upon is that the government
will not be imposed upon by the trusts
under the cloak of adherence to the
American policy of protection.
Take Feet Out of Trough.
In speaking to friend the other
day the president said he would COM
pei the trusts to take their feet out
of the trough" and this is an express
sion that is likely to live among the
famous sayings of Theodore Roose-
welt. Probably it will be long time
before the last is heard of it. One
may be sure it will be taken up in
the newspapers and in congress and
in future political campaigns. There
need be no surprise if it goes "thun-
dering down the ages"
Steel Rail Pool.
1t is now well~known that the start
of this whole rumpus was the insist
ence of the steel rail pool upon charg-
ing the government the domestic price
or $28 per ton, for the steel rails
needed to double track the Panama
railroad. The government wanted the
export price, or $40 a ton, and the
indications today are that the rail
pool has weakened and will sell at
the lower figure.
If the managers off the pool had
been wise they would have "come
down" in the first place and not com
PEELED the bear hunter of the Rockies
to shoot. Had they done so, they
would have saved the republican
lparty the liveliest shaking up it has
had in several moons.
Can Appeal to Public.
| The president wants the reaction
aries to realize that there is pro
gressive force in the intelligent public
opinion of this country to which he
may at any time appeal, and not IL
vain, and that it behooves them to be
little careful how in their stubborn
ness they push him to the last resort
But, of course, the president does no
want to have the policy of buying il
the cheapest market carried to sucl
an extreme as to array against tht
party all the forces of capital, pro
duction and manufacturing which
have been educated to believe tina
the United States, it's government ant
it's people, are their particular oyster
and which no foreign competitor ha
any right to try to crack.
If this was what the president ha'
in mind, he has succeeded very well
: He has stirred up the progressiv
sentiment of the country. He ha
, aroused a feeling which may max
v it very difficult for the standpatter
to hold out against him next wir
ter.