Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-05-18
washington Letter.


tFRoM OUR REGULAR CoRREsPoNDENT)
Saturday, May ID, 1905.
Theodore Roosevelt, "the War Lord, y
of whom we heard so much IN the days
of the last campaign, has declared war
But it is not against another Nation
seeking to maintain amicable relations
with the United States but against cor
porate interests which threaten the
welfare of The American people. 1t is
not the army or Che navy, or any other
form of "big Stick" which this Presi-
dent whom his opponents declared to
be "spoiling for fight" proposes to
use on the corporations, but the power
full weapon of public education. Incl
dentally, 1t is not the Democratic ora,
tors and stump speakers who are now
condemning Theodore Roosevelt for
bis revolutionary theories" but the
managers of those corporate interests
over which be maintains that "the Gov
ernment should exercise supervisory
and regulatory function"
Of the fact that the President has de.
clared war there can be no doubt. One
has only to circulate among the groups
of railroad men, delegates to the Inter-
national Railway Congress, which are
gathered in every hotel in Washington,
to appreciate how bitter the war is to
be, how intense is the indignation of
the great captains of interstate COM
MERGE because Revolutionary politi-
cian," as they term the President.
should attempt to control them. Gen
orally speaking, the railway managers
of the United States are masterful men,
accustomed to command and to being
obeyed, like the Centurian of the
Scriptures, and the mere suggestion
that they or their methods should be
made the subject Of federal control fills
them with indignation. For Years
they have been laboriously working to
establish the sentiment, if not the be-
lief, that the railroads of the country
are private property to be administer
ed solely for the benefit of their stock
holders. Now the President has an
nounced in term5 so clear that no one
can misunderstood them that this is
not the case; that the railroads, receiy-
ing their charters from the State; &C
quiring their rights of way by supreme
exercise of sovereignty, an exercise
which permits them to condemn and
take possession of private property,
giving the owner fair remuneration
therefor, but taking 1t whether he cares
to sell or not; and controlling the high
ways of commerce. are public property
and must be administered primarily
for the benefit of the public. Such ac-
ton on the part of the President has
aroused the most intense indignation
on the part of the railway men and
they are preparing to resist the pur-
poses of the President to the bitter end.
That the end will be bitter 10 man
can doubt, for the propaganda is one
calculated to enlist the sympathy of ey.
cry unprejudiced American and when
conducted by so honest and fearless a
leader as Theodore Roosevelt there can
be no doubt of the resalt.
Just after the news of the President's
Denver speech reached Washington,
and when the railway men were at the
fever heat Of indignation, just after
Secretary Taft had enunciated at a
railway banquet the Presidents policy,
The President scored another victory.
He received at Chicago delegation
from the striking teamsters who came
to protest against the possible sending
Of federal troops to that city to main
tain order. The Presidents reply was
not temporizlng with the situation,
not an offer to arbitrate as some had
feared it might be, but plain, father
iy admonitiou to observe the law. re-
frain from violence and render unnec-
essarv an appeal for federal troops. Mr..
Roosevelt did not mince his words. In
every effort of Mayor Dunno to pre-
order, he told the strikers, "to see that
the laws are obeYed and that order is
preserved, he has the hearty support
Of the President of the United States
and IN my judgment he should have
that Of every good citizen Of the United