Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-08-30

made Dy president or TIE UnlGeu
s States is President Roosevelt's declara'
tiOn that he should enforce the law
against rich and poor alike. AS that is
the sworn dnty of all Presidents. it
should go without saying. The effort
of politicians and financiers to induce
the President TO say something re-
assuring" seems TO have had effect for
he declared that we have undertaken
and will undertake no action of a vim
dictive type and above all no action
which shall iuflict great or unmerited
suffering upon innocent stockholders
and upon the public rs a whole. " ibis
was taken by Wall Street as meaning
that the administration would not run
amuck" and railroad and trust stocks
closed at substantial advances. But
President Roosevelt is cOnsummate
politician, so for public consumption
be berated CERTAIN malefactOrs of
great wealth" and said, they had
combined to bring about as much fl
nancial stress as they possibly can in
order to discredit the policy of the
government Who did the President
mean? Was it Rockefeller and Har-
riman, or the bankers? AS Mr.. R0Ose
welt has always been well disposed to.
ward the money power, and he's vir
tuaiIy allowed the fTenZied financiers
to dictate the policy of the United
States Treasury, he could hardly have
had the bankers in mind, although it
is known they are advising let up in
business and are refusing loans to their
legitimate business customers. The
financial trouble that prevails is most
ly in consequence of the Republican
policy Of finance and lways neiping
Wall Street when in trouble, and ia
this President Roosevelt follows tie
bad example of his predecessors.
The talk of Mr.. Bryan's friends that
the suggestion by Democrats of a
Southern man for President comes
from Wall Street influence is hardly
borne out by political conditions. The
Republicans have always had the sup
port of the Wall Street element since
that party was able to elect a Presi-
dent. In return the Republican party
has legislated in the interest of the cor
poration. If occasionally it has been
necessary to appease the voters by en-
acting legislation against the predatory
interests there has always been left
loophole in the law for the corporations
and mopopolists to continue their ex'
tortion, or escape punishment. Thus
the Sherman anti trust law and the
railroad rate bill have accomplished
nothing for the people. and the only
real relief appears from Stale legisla
ton and that the Republicans anc
their W all Street allies are trying tC
nullify. There is no prominent Demo
crat named as a prospective candidate
for president, Ell her from the South
or from tue North, that Wall STREE
could dominate. Wall Street may moi
just like Pre- sident Roosevelt, but il
would take him or Secretary Taft witt
avidity rather than any Democrat tha
has been seriously mentioned.
There is singular unaDimlty o
opinion in every Republican leader
from Southern State that visits Vast
ington. they are all for Koos evelt
OF whoever he selects. AS about al
the Republican leaders in the Sou ii
are federal officials. whether of In;
white or black and tau variety, they
evidently feel insepaVably bound III
with the administration and have
sworn fealty to the particular Repub
licau baron who lords it over them
aud he, of course, VIII ether it is Taft, Of
Cortelyou, Or other Departm enb Chiefs
are faithful retaiuerS of their lisge
lord, The President. Thus can par ty
feudalism be perpetaated. Ii WOuiC
seem that the Repu olican Nationa
Convention ia being packed in advance
for "me and my policies" Whether
Knox or Fairbanks can arrange witt
the negroes who hold no Office to come
up with contesting delegations is an
other matter, but as Knox will have
the Steel Trust back of him there will
be ample means to finance the dele
gates. Judging by the past there will
be contests, for lively fight in a Re
publican National Convention meanl
forty acres and mule to those who
are seated as delegates. But some ont
must first ''pay the freight" to Chicago
or Cincinnati, or wherever the con
ventiOn is held.
The question Of railroad rates, eth.
er fixed by the States on transporta
ton within the State or fixed by the
United States on interstate business
must eventually come before the Uni
ted States Supreme Court on the ques
tion of constitutlonality. The press
ing issue is whether the rate reduction.
shall 90 into effect at once, or by in
junction issued by the lower federal
court be postponed until each case il
reached and is decided by the highest
court. This matter of the railroads be
ing able to take advantage of all the
laws delays was the contention of the
Democrats when the railroad rate bill
was being discussed in the Senate, and
the Culberson amendment, which the
Republicans defeated, was intended to
cure that defect in the law. Regard.
ing the same delay under State legis
lation the question is one of State
Rights, and whether the reduced rates
can be held up by injunction of an in
ferier federal court issued by judge
in evident sympathy with the railroads.