Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-24
Working in Harmony.

The jaunty confidence with which
President Roosevelt has advanced his
schemes for the federal regulation Of
corporations II no great cause for won
der. That j. his habituai manner.
What causes more general astOnish-
ment is the passive and frequently
frank acquiesCence in his plans 10y pow
erful interests upon which he seeks 10
impose new regulations.
The beneficiari"S OF Dincleyism
would never receive Il proposal TO re
duce their special privileges so com
PLEASANTLY. II the sugar duties had been
involved OXnard would have spent
sleepless nights in Washington work
ing on the sympathics Of beet loving
senators. Instead big corporations
show themselves as submissive To the
presidents will IL if lac We're actually
seeking 10 confer fresh privileges upon
them. Ii Is all in such striking con
trast with their frantic opposition 10
the department Of commerce act and
the allied measures.
Far from stirring up opposition TO
Mr.. RoOsevelts suggestion for federal
control. the insurance companies grasp
At the promise of freedom from local
supervision Icy state commissions. The
Standard oil. brood mother OF trusts.
regards the presidents license pro
graInme as wisely excellent. Railroad
magnatcs. called into consultation az
the White House. offer generous advice
and promise friendly cooperation. II
the voice of an occasional traffic man
ager Il heard In criticism. IL il To suS
gest that the right To- pool should go
with government regulation Of rates.
These wholesale conversions To pol
icy heralded as threat are the more
remarkable because ten months ago the
administrations victory in the North
ern Securities case excited bitter re-
sentiment and because Mr.. Roosevelt il
still popularity regarded as a corpora
ton scOurce whom the "safe and sane
politicians Of his party must hold in
leash Icy main force. How las IL come
about that the corporation lambs are
lying down so peacefully with the
presidential Hon: Can IL be- possible
that long before election. when the
trusts were contributing 80 literally To
Chairman COrtelyou's war fund. they
really had an inkline as To what the
future measures for
the regulation Of corporations would
bei
Certainly those are not new or orig
inal policies which President Roosevelt
and Commissioner Garfield have pre-
sented. Long ago James II. Dill. emf
nent I'm the councils of consolidation
promoters. anticipated the administra-
ton I'm advocating federal control OF
engaged in interstate com
merce. Federal licenses and federal in
laws had long been favor
tie theories with attorneys represent
ing great corporations exposed 10 the
constant peril OF attack under state
laws. In justice To them they should
he given their proper share OF credit
for formulating a policy now so highly
favored by President Roosevelt
There Is no knowing exactly how
many persons were privy 70 the presi- !
dents pre- election councils or how far
the news OF his future plans Travelled |
Dr. how far such gossip may have fur |
therci Chairman CortelyOu's activities. |
but IL j. a remarkable coincidence at |
least that trust buster and trust busted |
are now hunting together. IL indicates
that they have been separated by no
Irrcmovable differences 81 opinion. by /
20 gulf that could not lie bridGed-a
mere misunderstanding perhaps.
Tho president wishes 20 regulate the
trusts: the trusts wish 10 be regulated
Fan 10 be possible that the corporation
1eaTtstrinss and the presidential heart
strings have really been vibrating in
unison all this time without n suspi-
Ion Of their own harmony until tie
election returns suddenly revealed IT.
New York World