The Cairo bulletin., 1909-01-07
TEDDY ANSWERS
FOR BONAP PARIF
SENT MESSAGE TO SENATE ON
STEEL TRUSTS ABSORPTION
OF TENNESSEE CONCERN.
INQUIRY TO BOyApAR7E
BY That Body viii Not Be Replied
Says President Because Sen
ate Has No Right to So Di-
rect Executive Branch"


Washington Jan. 6-president
Roosevelt today Informed the senate
in no uncertain terms that he had
given his approval to the absorption
of the Tennessee Coal aud Iron com
pany by the United States Steel cor
poration, and that he had instructed
| Attorney General Bonaparte net TO
respond to the senat's inquiry as to
the reason for his failure to prosecute
the steel company
The president concludes his mes
sage with the statement that he does
not conceive it TO be within the
| authority OF the senate to give direc'
tions of this character to the head
Of the executive department
The message to the senate is in
| response TO resolution introduced
by Culberson calling on tht attorney
| general to state whether he had
ibNougfIt action against the Steel com
| pany because Of It's acquisition oi
| tho Tennessee concern, and If not,
| the reason for his non naction. While
the president, his attention was called
to 1t by Attorney General Bonaparte
who after quoting the requirements
of the resolution said;
"As you are aware, no such pro-
&C edinEs have been instituted"
Cognizant and Responsible.
Commenting upon the attorney
generals letter, the president says
AS to the transaction in question,
was personally cosnzant OF and
responsible for its every detail"
Then, for the Information of the sen
ate" the president transmits a copy
of his letter to the attorney general
i'm which he says that Judge Gary and
II. c. Frick in behalf of the steel cor.
pCr6tion had called upon him and
stated that certain important busl.
ness firm would fail if help was not
given; that this help could be given
by the purchase of the securities Of
the Tennessee Coal company. which
the firm held; that the steel corpora.
tion had been urged to buy these sc.
curties. which as a business transac.
tiCn Il did not care to du. hui that
Notwithstanding little benefit would
come 10 the steel corporation it was
willing I'm order TO prevent a threat
encd failure and panic that might fol-
low to purchase the stock were II
no. for a probable attack upon them
on the ground that it was trying 10
secure n monopoly On the business
Fricl5 and Gary stated so the prcsi.
dent says. that their sole interest
was to prevent a general industrial
smash-up al that time November
1900 The president says that in
view Of these facts he felt it no pub.
lic duty of bis TO intcrposc any objec
tior
No legal Ground.
Rcsuming his message the prcsi-
dent SAYS: After sending this let.
ter | was advised orally by the attor.
ney general that in his opinion no
sufficient ground existed for legal
proceedings against the steel corpora
ton. aud that the situation had been
in no way changed by its acquisition
Of the Tennessee Coal and Iron com
p9ny
Il have given TO the senate all In.
formation in the possession Of the
executive departments which appears
to me to- be material or revelaut To
tac subject of the resolution ] feel
hound. however. TO add that . have
instructed the attorney general not
To respond 10 that portion of the
resolution which calls for a statement
n bis reasons for non action. : have
icnc So hccausc I do not conceive il
TO be within the authority II the sen
ate to rive directions Of this charac-
ter to u ehead &C the executive Be-
Uartmeut o. to demand from him rea-
81 ms for his action The heads cf
IN" executive departments are sub
jert TO the constitution AMI 10 the
Laws passed by congress in pursuant co
of the constitution. and n the direc-
items q the president cf the United
States brit no ether direction What
ever