The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1907-08-23
A Letter That Explains A Great Deal

More aud more the real inward
tess oI the government : railroad
aud trust policy is coming to light.
Each disclosure makes it more APP
parent that this policy has its origin
not 50 much IN conviction ms in rN-
pedipncy. II is the work of 'prar.
teal men. II is formulated by
the politicians who are feeling the
pulse of the people. 1t is, appar-
entity, not intended so much to reg
ulate the corporations as it is to
make show Of doing so, which
will head off any real attempt.
Here is an extract from a letter
addressed to II. II. koblsaat, of
Chicago. The letter is dated "Oys.
ter Bay, \. Y, August 7. 1899, -
Afer some personal matters this
remarkable epistle says:
How about trusts7 | know
this Is very large question, but
more and more it seems to me that
there will be good deal of import
uurr to the trust matter in the next
campaign. and ! want to consult
with men whom | trust most ~ to
what line Of policy should be pur-
sued
During the last few months ]
have been growing exceedingly
alarmed AT the growth of popular
unrest and popular dlstrust on this
question 1t is largely almIess aud
bnseleSs, but there is IL very nm.
pleasant side to this overrun trust
Development, and what ! fear Is,
ii we do not have some consistent
policy to advocate then, that the
multltudes will follow the crank
who advocates any absurd policy,
but who does advocate something,
Have YOU thought enough about
the matter to say whether any beg
lslation, and if 50, what, should hr
undertaken, on whether there is any
other remedy that can be wisely
applied?
Faithfully yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
1t will be noticed that the dl,tiu
guIshcd writer is not So much "a
larmcd' because the trusts are rob
bling the people as he is that the
people are showing unrest and
distrust which he says is largely
'almIess aud basciess, because
they are being robbed
His fear is not that the corpora
tons will continue this exploiting
policy, but that, if the republicans
do not make play to allay popular
discomfort, the multitudes will
follow somebody who does ad.
vocate something"
In the writer's mind, anybody
who really did advocate some
thing that meant anything would,
of course, be a crank" but this
appellntion would not apply to any
one who merely made q show for
the purpose of quoting popular
unrest" and "distrust"
This is the attitude OF the oppor-
tunist and politician.
That it applies not only to the
trusts in general, but to the rail-
road policy as well, is made plain
in this statement, which, kohlsaat
says, was made by his bosom friend
ROOsevelt:
i believe the time has come
when we must have federal super
vision or federal control of rail
roads. ! am utterly opposed to
the government ownership Of rail
roads. However, believe that if
we do not get government super
vision or control, the radical de-
manG for government ownership
will come with force and, perhaps,
sweep the people along with it. "
In other words. the railroads
must be regulated not because they
are doing wrong, but because the
people may become dissatisfied and
clamor for government ownership.
If the people wonder why, after
all the noise that has actually done
nothing against the trusts and rail-
roads, they have the explanation
here. New York American.
Dr. August Sanders of Marble Hill
was found dead in his bed on the
morning of the 18th. He was -
years old and it is supposed he died from
heart failure
The County Court recently in scs-
sion at Fredericktown paid 81 for wolf
scalps. There we're six of them, and
were worth 81 80 each.
The Gresham Mercantile Co.'S store
was robbed on the night of the Sth.