Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-11-01
DEMOCRATS FORCED THE SUIT
AGAINST THE STEEL TRUST.

solution of the so-called Steel Trust as
purely a political maneuver, growing
out of the exigencies of the presiden-
,ial situation.
The Republican party, finding itself
hard pressed. with the taunt thrown
constantly al it that it has been a
fruitless disturber Of business, select
ling the victims of governmental aoiy-
|ity against combinations, while care
fully avoiding any movement against
1.-THE one ii that has been its chief ben
Iefciary for many years. finding itself
ipuy on the defensive with a presiden-
uaI campaign at hand has finally re-
sorted TO the eNpedient of a suit
against the steel corporation.
/ Comments are quite general that the
/ Republicans hope by this move to di-
. vert attention from the Steel Trust as
/ an active co-laborer with it in the
political vineyard in the past and TO
+ entirely relieve itself of the accusa-
ton thai il has been careful u avoid
giving ofense to the Morgan and ether
financial interests heretofore closely
allied with i.
/ The a-eel trust case, it is pointed
our. cannot reasonably be hoped to
come bef3Ie the Supreme Court, the
final arbiter of its destinies, inside of
two years, which would throw it over
| beyond the presidential election of
/ next year. If the Republicans win, it
! is pointed out, the government can
show mercy to the trust as to an old
time friend. If the Republicans lose
they will at least have the satisfaction
of knowing that they played strong
card for popular favor when they in
scituted the suit against the greatest
industrial combination of modern
times.
| 1t is true that President Taft has de-
clared most s5lemnly that he would
rather cut off his right hand than be
guilty of needlessly disturbing bust
mess, or upsetting industrial affairs
for political gain. But it is not hard
to reconcile that position with the in
| stitutiOn of the present suit and the
reaping of whatever advantages it
may bring to hard-pressed and rather
Respondent political organization, on
the eve of a titantic struggle for con-
troll of the nations administrative af-
fairs for the next eight to twelve
Years.
The part that former President
Roosevelt cuts in the case is extrem-
| ely remarkable One of the strongest
points made by the government is
that by the steel trusts absorption of
the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company
it virtually created a monopoly and re-
moved its only serious competitor.
| President Roosevelt,it will be recalled,
gave his deliberate official sanction to
this merger. He has persistently stat
ed that he was convinced that he acted
| right in doing so and for the best bus
mess interests of the nation. Now
comes his successor and declares that
Roosevelt was misled. AS one ex-
change puts it, this makes Teddy look
more like a fool than a knave That
Roosevelt does not enjoy the situation
in which he is put is easily understood.
That he will maintain silence is diff
cult TO believe.
So far as the public at large is con-
cerned, it has long ago reached the
conclusion that the alleged panic that
brought about the merger of the Ten
nessee with the other steel producing
companies was a cleverly engineered
movement of the steel and other allied
interests. That Morgan and his asso.
clates could not stem the adverse fin
ancial currents without taking over
the Tennessee company will never be
believed by the American people. Thai
IrumOrs were set afloat and published
to provoke runs on certain trust COM
panieS and other discreditable steps
taken to put their plans through, has
been abundantIy demonstrated. The
Democratic investigating committee
threw the search light on this nasty in.
cident in New York high finance. Ar
unpleasant flavor has been left in the
national mouth by the revelations
brough. out by the Democratic inves.
ugauon. But for the Democratic vic.
tory of last yea there would have
been no investigation, the facts woult
have remained concealed and Their,
would have been no suit for the disso
luton of the Steel Trust. That. a
least is certainty.
Interlocking. directorates through
which those in power in the Steel Cor
/ lnOrati0D hold n0ci+iopc of =, a,,,,,a. -,