Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-08
A REBUKE BY THE PRESIDENT.

Tho presidents latest message to
the senate, In esponse to a resolution
calling upon the attorney general for
an explanation why the government
had not commenced suit against the
United States Steel corporation for its
action in acquiring control of the
Tennessee Fuel and Iron company, is
decidedly interesting as throwing light
on a transaction out of which the dem
ocrats e~ndeavored to manufacture
campaign material in the presidential
contest and further in defining the
presidents views as to the right Of the
senate to give instructions to heads
of executive departments or to de-
mand from them reasons for their
action OF non-action in any given
cases.
The letter of the president to the
attorney general, written November 4,
1907, furnishes ar explanation that
will be accepted by reasonable men of
the chief executives failure or refusal
to oppose the acquisition by the Steel
corporation Of the property of the
Tennessee. corporation. 1t was made
plain to the president on unQuestion-
able authority that the Tennessee con-
Germ was certain to fail unless the
holders of it's securities could secure
relief, possible only by sale to the
Steel corporation. The president was
informed by the attorney general that
there was no legal obstacle to the pro-
posed purchase and the president
agreed to it, feeling that the failure
of the Tennessee company would cause
a general panic at a time when the
country was already suffering from the
effects of an Industrial and financial
depression that had prevailed for sew
eral months and was becoming acute.
This explanation may be somewhat
disconcerting to the Wall street clique
which has been persistently trying to
prove President Roosevelt's course in
the administration of public affairs has
dustrial interests of the country and,
in short, responsible for the panic
which his letter shows he sought to
avert. 1t appears to be clear that any
cause the federal government may
have had for proceeding against the
Steel company has not in any way
been changed or affected by the trusts
acquisition of the Tennessee company's
properties.
The second part of the presidents
word to the senate will probably have
the effect of more clearly defining the
proper way for interchange of COM
munications between the legislative
and executive branches Of the govern
ment. 1t has long been the custom
in both the house and the senate to
call upon the secretary of war, the at
torney general or other department
heads to furnish with data in their
possession desired by congress for
business or political reasons. The
president makes 1t clear hat he con-
siders it one of the business of the
congress to inquire into the acts or
give directions to the heads of the diff
ferent departments. These, he holds,
are governed by the constitution and
the laws and are responsible directly
and solely to the chief magistrate.
Congressional requests for information
should be directed to the president.
Those familiar with the methods en-
ployed in great industrial and business
concerns will promptly accept the
presidents point as we'll taken. Mean
while the letter will serve to accentu-
ate the breach between the executive
and legislative branches of the gov
eminent, which appears to be an in
evitable feature of the closing days of
a presidential and congressional term.