The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-02
mR. RoosEvELT's MESSAGE.

President Roosevelt's special mes
sage to congress is perhaps the most
remarkable of its kind that has ever
been presented to the country; it is
full of plain speaking. It is evident
that the president has been goaded
by Wall street and other agencies be-
yond the point of endurance. Gener-
ally speaking, there is not a great deal
i'm the message that was not known be-
fore, or that has not been disclosed in
the presidents former preachments.
He has said many times that male
factos of great wealth should be pun
ished: that trusts should be broken
up when their operations come within
the scope of the Sherman antitrust
act. and that all violators of the law,
whatever their wealth or standing,
should feel the weight of the laws dis
pleasure. A really sensational feature
Of the message is the copy of a letter
from the general freight and traffic
manager of the Santa Fe railway TO
the auditor of the company. in which
il is clearly shown that rebates were
paid by the railroad to the Associated
Oil company OF that state, in violation
Of the California statute which makes
rebating a felony.
The authenticity of the letter is not
denied by the railroad people; their
only claim is that the document was
stolen. The man who is now auditor
10 H..
deny that the letter was written, al
though he does deny that he ever saw
it. He has heard, however, that his
predecessor had received it. This is
the presidents method of getting back
at President Ripley of the Santa Fe,
who has been commenting severely
upon the presidents attitude on the
payment Of rebates by transcontinent-
al roads. In this comment Mr.. Ripley
said that he personally never knew
anything about rebates being granted
by his road.
A striking feature of President
Roosevelt's message is this state
ment:
Il think that the federal government
must also assume a certain measure of
control over the physical operation of
railways in the handling of interstate
traffic. 1t must also have
authority to determine the conditions
upon which cars shall be interchanged
between different interstate railways.
1t is also probable that the commission
should have authority in particular in
stances to determine the schedules
upon which perishable commodities
shall be moved"
There is in this proposition a very
ership of the railroads of the country.
II certainly is only a short step from
government control of the physical
operation of trains to government
ownership. For the government to en-
act a statute giving it the right 20 con-
troll train schedules and operating
matters of that character is practically
20 turn the roads over to the govern
ment without compensation. 1t is
hardly probable that such a law win
be passed or that ii could be enforced
If it were passed.
Mr.. Roosevelt vigorously denies the
charge, often made, that his admins
tration is responsible for the unsettled
conditions.
Il do not for a moment believe" he
says, that the actions of this admin
istration have brought on business dis
tress so far as this is due to local and
not worldwide causes, and to the ac-
.ions of any particular individual. II
is due to the speculative folly and fla
grant dishonesty of few men of great