Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-03-03
MORE ROOSEVELT LAwLessnEss
tTr,m the New York world.)

(TrIm the New York Worid.)
"As to the transaction in question
was personally cognizant of and re
sponsible for its every detail" sait
Mr.. Roosevelt in a message to thu
United States Senate Jan. 6, announc
ing that he would mot permit the At
torney- General to respond to a lreso
luton inquiring if proceedings hat
been instituted under the Sherman
law against the United States Stee
Corporation on account of its absorp
ton of the Tennessee Coal and Iror
Company.
After a long investigation sub
committee of the Judiciary Commit
tee finds that as a result Of the
transaction which Mr.. Roosevelt
boasts that he was personally re.
sponsible for, the Steel Trust has
gained
l. An ultimate monopoly of the high
grade iron-ore supply of the country.
2. Control of the open-hearth output
CT steel rails.
3. A monopoly of the iron and steel
trade of the south.
4. The elimination OF formidable
competitor. ~
s. Property with. q potential value Of
several hundred million dollars.
This was accomplished by the pay
ment Of only s632.655 in cash. For
the balance bonds of the Steel Trust
were issued to the amount of $34, ,684-
S97.
AS for Mr.. Roosevelt's assertion
that this was done to prevent pam
ic," the panic was over at this time
The subcommittee finds that the
merger was unnecessary to save any
important banking concern or busi-
ness house; that the Tennessee Coal
and Iron syndicate did not wish to
sell its stock; that the President had
no legal authority to license this
transaction; that the merger was a
plain violation of the Antitrust law,
and that in attempting thus to nuili-
fy statute Mr.. Roosevelt disregard
ed his oath to take care that the
laws are faithfully executed"
Mr.. Roosevelt's license, of course,
has no legal standing whatsoever.
If the merger was a violation Of the
Sherman act the parties to the trans
action can be prosecuted exactly in
the same manner as If Mr.. Roosevelt
had not been personally cognizant of
and responsible for its every detail"
The President of the United States
has no more constitutional power to
authorize corporation to violate the
Anti Trust law than to authorize a
cashier to, embezzle the funds of a
national bank. But whether the law
was actually violated, or not 1t was a
act of shocking improprety for Mr..
Roosevelt to license this mecger or
to make himself as President the
chief responsible party to such. a
Wall street exploit.
A billion dollar corporation pleases
MIN, and he graciously gives it per-
mission to absorb its most important
competitor. Editors displease him
and he has them indicted for libel
in the District ST Columbia under the
English common law of 1862. Courts
decide contrary to his wishes, and
their DECISIONS denounced "a gross
miscarriage of Justice" Congress die.
regards his desires in framing al
preparation bills, and its members are
branded as the accomplices Of Grim
inals, afraid of investigation by the
Secret Service.
His letter to Senator Hale attacking
Senator Hemenway and the Senate
committee for the Secret Service re.
port is further illustration of this
utter contempt for all law except his
own. Mr.. Roosevelt publicly boasts
that "the action of Congress would
have been the grossest miscarriage
OF justice had 1t not been in large
part nullified by the prompt action
os the Department of Justice on its
own initiative and without any fur
tber legislation of any Kind by Con
gress."
In other words the way to suppress
lawlessness is to have the Depart
ment of Justice itself nullify the laws
of Congress. The way to enforce
the law to license it's violation.
And poor Andrew johnson was not
only impeached, but escaped convic