Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-15
BIG STICK IS READY
Roosevelt Prepared to Go After
Congress With Vigor If
Necessary
HEARST coLLEcrldN ON TAP
President Has Possession of Document
That Would Put A Few Members of
CONGRESS Into the Foraker Haskell
Glass if Made Public-Congress Like
Iy to Back Down.
Especial Correspondence

! Washington, Dec 15.--Is the Roose-
Welt administration to- end with a
struggle between president and con-
gress. which will recall the history of
drew Johnson?
The question will be answered very
soon
The announcement that the presi-
| dent is prepared with specific cases
and Illustrations to give proof of i'm
proper relations between members OF
,, congress and big private interests con-
cerned about legislation, has caused
| something very like a panic among
statesmen who have been clamoring
for rebule to the chief executive.
They are wondering whether the
| president has up his sleeve another
series of exposures which may prove
as sensational as those of William
Randolph Hearst during the recent
campaign.
Will Co to Extremes.
1T rs now very we'll understood by
the leaders of congressional indigna-
ton, that the president is in a frame of
mind to go to extremes If necessary in
order to make good" with his charges
of improper motives for placing limi-
tations on the employment Of the
secret service.
Mr. Roosevelt is Il genius for the art
of being prepared, 1t is one of his
maxims that the way to avoid war is
to be ready for 1t. That maxim he APP
plies quite as vigorously to political
conflict as to physical and interna-
tional He is the possessor of a mar
veous magazine of weapons and am
munition adapted to the contest which
congress has been threatening. That he
is determined to employ them to the
very limit, il the issue be forced upon
him. is now accepted as beyond con-
lecture.
prepared echoed one Of the pres
idents advisers when asked if the
White House were ready for the fray:
"Well. should say so. Haven't you no.
ticed that we always are prepared?'
1t is understood on excellent author
dignant against certain members of the
house appropriations committee who
took an active part in the legislature to
cripple the secret service, at the last
session He is said to have a fine ar
ray Of material with which to enliven
the situation If the issue is pressed;
and he is so anxious for the showing
of strength that he is not disposed to
require more than a very delicate slap
on the wrist in order to induce him to
jump into the center of the arena with
the big stick in hand, and to lay about
him with even more than accustomed
vigor.
Will Play Ducks and brakes.
1t is predicted that If the chief exec
utive is invited into the ring he will
play ducks and brakes with a choice
collection of political regulations. For
seven years he has been watching de-
velopments in connection with the in
nermost relations and Influences that
are influential with men in public life.
He has a fine card index array of in
formation which will make the most
sensational kind of reading if it is ever
transmitted in the form of message.
of his finger for any such mild-man
nered action as the eXpunging of
paragraph or a message. He knows
that the thing expunged will, by that
act be brought to the attention of the
country as nothing else would bring
it. He doesn't feel any concern about
specific charges. made in a public way,
being eXpunged from the public's rec
objection. He has been struggling with
congress for years in the effort to Wrest
it's leadership into a respectful atten-
ton to his demands. He is rather anN-
ious to make up an issue on the whole
subject, before the public.
The kind of material which is ex-
pected to be used in case this fight
goes to a finish, is that which relates
to the establishment of a relationship
between public men and private inter-
ests. For example congressman is
shown on the record to have taken a
stand which was in the interest of a
powerful railroad politician in his
district. Nobody else excer. that rail-
road manager could have been much
concerned. The public's interest plain
ly enough lay on one side; the rail-
roads on the other. The congressman
voted with the railroad interest. The
president, let it be ssumed-and it
can be assumed as to some cases-has
specific information indicating the close
relationship of the congressman to tn:
railroad manager. If the whole thing
be laid before the public in message.
what happens to that particular con-
gresham?
Hearst Collection on Tap.
During the late campaign it was we'll
known that number of letters in the