The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1907-04-05
POSITION UNCHANGED
PRESIDENT CAN SEE NO REASON
FOR EXPRESSING Views ON
T RAILROAD SITUATION. @
Declines Invitation to Address Illinois
Manufacturers Association and at
the Same Time Reiterates, His For
mer Declarations In Speeches and
Messages Favoring Effective Gov.
eminent Control Of Corporations.

eminent Control Of Corporations.
Washington, April 1.-President
Roosevelt, in declining the Invitation
of the Illinois Manufacturers assoc1a-
ton to make an address at Springfield
next week on the railroad situation.
writes letter to G. H. Smith, pres1'
dent of the association, explaining
such an address from him at this time
would be useless, as his position was
we'll understood and as he stands by
his previously expressed views. TO
the different men, friendly and I'M
friendly, who have visited him or writ
ten to him, he has answered verbally
or in writing that his words and acts
smoke for themselves and needed no
explanations whatever and that he
should not in his future course devil
ate one hairs breadth from the
course he has pursued in the past and
was how pursuing.
From an authoritative source it is
learned that the president has not the
slightest intention of taking any &C.
ton which would invalidate railroad
securities. The president holds, on
the other hand. that every executive
action of his administration regard
inc the railroads has furnished its own
ample justification. Neither has the
president, it is pointed out, made any
reference to the physical valuation OF
railroads, holding the roads capable OF
working out that problem for them
selves. Attention is called to the tact
that the Northern Pacific and Great
Northern roads already have submit
ted figures regarding such valuation. 1t
is also we'll understood that the pres
1dent again will ask congress for
mower to deal with decentralization
Of railroads, which request was de-
MED at the late session.
Reiterates Former Position.
The president, in his letter to Mr..
Smith, outlines at length his position
on the. railroad question by means OF
copious extracts from speech he de-
livered at Raleigh, N. c., Oct. 10, 1905;
another from a speech delivered in
Washington Nov. IA, 1905, and from
his late messages to congress. His
position since the time Of his ad-
dresses and messages, the president
declares, have been amply justified by
the course of events. Its wisdom is
obvious, he adds. and there Is no oc'
casion or reason for application at
present.
Quoting from his Raleigh address
the president calls attention to his
belief that the government should do
nothing which can properly be left IN
private hands, but that such regula-
lions should be exercised against the
railroads as to insure their operation
in a spirit of fairness to all con-
! cerned. Whatever power the govern
ment yields must be with wisdom,
caution and self-restraint. Railroads,
he declares, must be protected from
any public clamor, no matter how vio-
lent, when the roads were in the right.
Referring to his Washington ad-
dress the president says railroad rates
are not :as a whole too high, but that
the evils that exist are due to unjust
discrimination and this should be pre-
vented by law.
In quoting from his messages to
congress the president outlines again
his we'll known views favoring effec-
tive government supervision over cor
porate organizations, holding any ef-
fort to prevent all combinations would
be useless and vicious. He also justi-
ies the new interstate commerce law.