The Washington times., 1911-11-19

course, the argument used by the Street
in bidding up prices was based upon the
news advices from Washington to the
effect that in view of Mr.: Rooseyelts
deceived In the Tennessee Coal and Iron
matter the Government might amend It's
bill of complaint in the Steel suit bear
ing upon that point. This was elaborat-
ed into a report that the entire case
might be abandoned, which Is, of course,
preposterous.
Political Possibilities.
Coinciding heartily, as many important
men in Wall Street do. with Mr.. Roose-
velt's view that the Government should
adopt constructive policy In the trust
question, drop or annul the Sherman
act, and endeavor to supervise the cor
porations In the same way that the rail-
ways are supervised, there are some
who see no bull argument on stocks In
his editorial news. In other words,
they believe. SO strong is the former
President with the rank and file in the
country, that his criticism OF the cir
cult courts acceptance of the Tabacco
Company's plan will crystalline the op-
position against that plan and the op-
position against the Supreme Court 8
Interpretation of the Sherman antitrust
act, and force the matter of new anti
trust statute into Congress. and thereby
aggravate a situation already highly dis
turbing.
The political possibilities Of Mr. Roose-
velts editorial did not appear to dis
turb the speculative element. but this
certainly was much discussed phase
Of the editorial in banking circles. Per-
haps none Of the things which bankers
talk about may come TO pass, put az
present they express the belief that
Mr.. Roosevelt has complicated matters
President
trative program, the national conven-
ton, and the impending PresidentiaS
campaign. One banker with whom l
talked held the, opinion. however, that
would be better in the end The more
disturbed the situation" said he, the
nearer the solution. The present con-
dition of affairs is certainly intolerable.
on tearing big corporations apart, patch
them up again, and tear them apart
a second time. and so on and on. We
must have some constructive legisla-
ton, and l believe we are going to get
it."
Much Recrimination
or course there has been much re-
elimination between the adherents of
President Taft and Mr.. Roosevelt over
the condition OF affairs The friends
OF the former insist that II was Mr..
Roosevelt who started the whole anti
trust matter first, with the Northern
Securities Company, and then with the
Standard Oil and American Tobacco
Company. or the charge that the final
decision In the Tobacco case Is prac-
tically a miscarriage OF justice, ad-
herents of the President point out that
the suit was instituted by the Roosevelt
administration, and that the Supreme
Court rendered the decision which is
criticised. Again, in the Tobacco case,
to the assertion that the property re-
mains under the control OF the same
persons after dissolution as before, Mr..
Taft's adheTents retort that such also
was the final outcome Of the Northern
Securities case. prosecuted by Mr..
Roosevelt. Great Northern and North
ern Pacific were Hill roads before the
merger and they are Hill roads now,
and greatly strengthened in their posi-
ton by their common ownership of
the Burlington.
charge of indiscriminating prosecutions
by the Department of Justice. those