Evening journal., 1905-03-06

Of industry" The president was as
sailed IN corporation organs as having
become veritable Bryan. "Unconsti-
tutional" that mystic word employed
so often In attempts to defer the inev-
liable In American history. was aimed
again at the White House ''rhe pres
ident cannot force congress to adopt
his revolutionary Ideas" was asserted
by men accredited with wisdom. But
the seed had been well planted and
the president went about his other du-
ties, awaiting developments. He did
not have to wait long, for quick and
decisive came the acclaim OF the peo-
pie. you're risAt. Mt President, and
we are with you" The White House
mail became a food % popular appro-
baton Then the president smiled in
his inimitable way. The agitation"
was on.
Soon after he sent his annual mes
sage to congress the president was ask
ed II he believed congress would enact
remedial traffic rate legislation this
winter. '1 don't know" he is said to
hsve replied, but IL it docs not viii
renew the appeal still more strongly
next year, and II notl,=ng Is done then
! viii come back all the stronger on
the same line the third year. and by
that time, think, the people will see
70 II that something Is done. When
the people Of this country really make
up their minds to do something on to
have something done for them they
usually accomplish IT," The president
smiled broadly again. and his ques-
tloner had TO agree with him.
An immense amount Of evidence has
come to the president concerning the
injustice done and power exerted by
the railroads. In one state, in a spir-
tied contest over the election OF Unit
cd States senator, two large railroad
systems combined to elect one candi-
date. They showered ''passes" and ere
thiners" on those representatives who
were working" the state for the rail-
roads candidate, but refused all facili-
ties and courtcsies to those who IA
vored his opponent In the great an
thracite coal strike thousands OF tons
OF coal were stalled" on the roads be-
cause the railroads would not transport
II and arouse the enmity OF the coal
operators. The secret rebate enjoyed
By the Colorado Fuel and Iron compa,
ny against all competitors, while the
price Of that corporation's stock went
soaring In tho Stock Exchanges. has
been exposed recently-R rebate OF
s1.10 on every ton OF coal II shipped
Whenever the beef trust. the coal trust,
the Standard on monopoly OF any OF a
half dozen other trusts were scratched
by the administration investigators
their close connection and community
Of interest with the railroads was dis
closed.
No man knows these secret under
standings" and pooling Of interests
better than President Roosevelt. He is
no novice in this line When governor
OF New York his friends among the
''reformers" USED to crlticise him for
compromising" with the corporation
interests which he wished to have pay
their share Of the taxes OF the state
That's the trouble with you" he told
a delegation one day, you are imprac-
tical. You want to accomplish just
what you have mapped out and in your
own narrow way or you will do moth
ing. am after results. and II I cannot
get Just what would wish am going
to take what can get Then ] will
try to get more later" President
Roosevelt settled the coal strike when
nobody believed he could. He agitated
antitrust legislation until he got some
OF II, and now he Is trying to get more.
II he succeeds again bis programme
VIII not then be played out He be-
lieves In the national incorporation or
chartering OF corporations engaged in
interstate commerce, including the car
riers, insurance companies and those
other great combinations OF capital,
the trusts, which now obtain their
charters in one state only to satate
their greed in many others with I'M
punity. That step has not yet been
reached in the presidents programme.
He,does not believe IN Social Democ-
racy." He fears Il. He does not IA
vor government ownership" OF rail-
roads and other public utilities and
would keep the highways Of COM
merce open TO all on equal terms" as
the best means Of preventing the other
alternative
The president has been accused Of be-
ing g "free trader" He is not But
he does believe the Dingley tariff
schedules, adopted eight years ago.
need modifying and that the people
placed that duty on the Republican
party In the last election. He is try
ing to impress the protected interests
with his view that they would better
permit moderate revision by Repub-
lican congress than take chances on
having the tariff wall swept away
sooner OF later by reactionary CON
gress. He does not concede or agree,
therefore. that he is radical" but pro-
gressive-really conservative.