The Washington times., 1908-09-28
Roosevelt Declares AbSorp-
ton of Tennessee Coal and
Iron Was Proper.
Tells NebraSkan His Words
Do Not Compare With
Deeds of Administration.

lLldhcS ulOEt kuOLS IN inc pEODteLl WL4Cl
both are fighting to solve first and
gives added food for thought to the
political ''bIeachers" who are watching
the game with more than ordinary in
terest.
That Mr.. Roosevelt has no intention
of permitting Mr.. Bryan to have thu
last word is manifest, although tho
Presidents preceding communication
was believed to have been the last shoc
he would fire. He is IN the fray for
keeps. evidently. and is going TO see the
argument through 10 Ste end
Mr. Roosevelt devotes his latest let
ter primarily to answering the dues-
tions which Mr.. Bryan has 50 pointedly
asked and every now and then adds a
little more information regarding the
inner workings of past Campaign com
mittees, Republican and Democratic,
for the benefit Of the courty at large.
That the Democrats merely promise
TO do. If in power. what the Republicans
have already done Is tLe keynote Of the
reply, which likewise contains a parting
shot at Governor Haskell
The President calls attention TO the
forty-nine Indictments for secret re-
bate under his Administrat ton, and de-
clares that the legitimate business in
terests Of the country are naturally for
Judge Taft. He explains that the Steel
trust was permitted to absorb one Of its
leading r1vals merely as an heroic
measure to avert a threatening wide
spread disaster due to tn" recent panic.
Replies in Detail,
Dear sir I have seen your letter
published IN this mornings papers. As
TO most Of what you say about me
personally. 7 do not regard any answer
as necessary. When you say that am
unfair to your platform. You reiteTate
certain opinions as to which I had quot
ed with my hearty approval Governor
Hughes In my first letter; and these.
therefore. II is also unnecessary 10 an
swer You have not answered the
Hughes speech. and IN my judgment
you do well not TO make the attempt.
You say that your platform declares
in favor Of the vigorous enforcement
Of the law against guilty trust mag
mates and officials. and that the plat
form upon which Mr.. Taft stands makes
no such declaration II was not neCes-
sary.
That platform approved the policies
Of this administration and promised TO
continue them; and here. as usual, I
have only TO compare your words with
the deeds Of the Administration and OF
Mr.. Taft You merely promise IN your
platform that you intend to do just
what this Administration has actually
done and is doing.
Brings in OIney's Name.
ITO show the difference between deeds
and words, I will compare the record OF
this Administration with the record OF
one Of your most prominent supporters
at the moment. Mr.. Olney. Attorney
General under the last Democratic Ad-
ninistration- While Mr.. Olney was At
torney General. no cases whatever were
brought. under the antitrust law.
against combinations Of capital, the
only new cases which he brought being
directed against combinations Of work
ingmen. During that entire Administra-
ton the only cases brought against
combinations Of capital under the anti
trust act were four In mum ber. two OF
which were unsuccessful, one of the
other two being the case which was
decided by Judge TAFT IN favor Of the
Government.
Under this Administration a mas OF
such cases have been brought, inClld-
ing the case against the Northern Sc
curities Company
Against the beef packers;
Against the Federal Salt Company
Against the General Paper Com
pany;
Against the Otis and other elevator
companies;
pany;
Against the Powder trust;
Against the Virginia-CarOlina Chem
ical Company:
Against the Standard Oil Company,
and others.
No Real Defeat.
In hardly any important case against
great law-brealdng corporations has the
Government yet suffered final defeat
you state that the Steel Company.
with my expressed consent, purchased
one Of its largest rivals, and thus OBJ
tanned a control OF over 30 per cent Of
the total output This action Of the
Steel Company, which increased its
share of the total output by only about
4 per cent. and in no way altered the
standing Of the company under the
law, may have been a violation of your
plan. the absurdity of which has been
exposed by Governor Hughes. But
there was no violation OF the law. l
was cOgniZant Of the entire transaction
1T was not entered into by the Steel
Corporation of it's own desire, but sole
~ on the request Of the corporation
purchased and Of the big banks hold
ing that corporations securities, in or
der 10 enable them to prevent q crash
which would have turned the panic of
last fall into the most widespread dis
aster. 1 should have been derelict in
my duty If had not so acted and eff
hciently used all the power of the Gov
eminent. where II could be Legally and
properly used (aS It was in this Case),
TO see that the panic was kept within
the smallest possible radius and the
damage caused as slight as possible
Bryan's Principle Wrong.
You would better understand the
principle on which I acted If you would
rid yourself Of the idea tEat I was try
ing to discriminate for or against any
man or corporation because he or It IS
either wealthy or not wealthy. I re-
gard such discrimination in either di-
rection as utterly incompatible with a
spirit Of honesty and fair dealing. I
have my distinctions on conduct, not
on relative wealth.
Il treat each man and each corpora
tion with view solely 70 whether he
or IL is acting rightly on a given oc
caSiOn. Let me give YOU an example.