The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-05-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
BY c. H. Tavenner.

Washington, That the Steel
Trust is willing to spend money
to elect men to public office Who
are willing to serve it after they
get into office, is again being
demonstrated.
When Theodore Roosevelt was
president of the United States he
permitted the Steel Trust to alb
serb its principal rival, the Ten
nessee Coal and Iron company.
This permission to violate the law
was worth millions of dollars to
the Steel trust, because it practi
cally assured the trust a monop-
oily, leaving it free, by the simple
process of tightening the screws
on the public, to extort most any
price 1T desires for it's wares.
The absorption of the Tennes
see company by the Steel Tru. t
was in direct violation of both
the spirit and the letter of the
law. No one denies this. Not
even the attorneys for the Steel
Trust contended now, or ever
did contend, that the deal was
legal.
This is not the only favor
Theodore Roosevelt did for the
steel trust, or the harvester
trust, at the request of Geo. w.
Perkins, then partner of ]. Pier
pont Morgan.
Roosevelt's commissioner of
corporations investigated the
harvester trust, found it illegal,
but at the suggestion of Mr.. Per
kins, the report was not made
public,
The most exhaustive search of
the records of Congress during
the years that Roosevelt was
President fails to show the pas
sage of a single measure that
even in the most remote manner
affected the monopoly and the
huge dividends of the Steel trust.
Hundreds Of such measures were
introduced in both the House and
the Senate while Mr.. Roosevelt
was President. Each and every
one was chloroformed and killed
in committee. And Mr.. Roose-
welt never raised his voice in
protest.
Mr.. Roosevelt is now a candi-
date for office. Every politician
in the land is aware that he is
spending more money to obtain
delegates than any candidate for
the Presidency has spent in this
country in the last quarter of a
century. Where is this money
coming from? Let us see:
Elton Huntington Hooker,
treasurer Of the Roosevelt league.
has just filed with the secretary
of state of New York list of the
contributors to the Roosevelt
fund. This sworn affidavit re-
veals that in the city of New
York alone George w. Perkins,
organizer of the harvester trust
and director of the Steel trust.
spent $4,000. Frank A. Mum
sey, the largest Individual holder
of steel stock (Common) in the
country, contributed $4,000
more. Thirty thousand dollars
OF steel trust money spent in a
city of ole state alone, and there
are AZ states in the union. This
sworn statement shows that in
New York City $50, 126. was
spent to get about $1,000 Roose-
welt votes, or practically 81 a
vote.
Senator Stephenson spent only
half as much per vote in Wiscon-
sin AM It was declared hat he
thus debauched American stand
ards and should not be permitted
to occupy a seat in the Senate.
The point to this article, how
ever, is that the steel trust
stands by its friends.
HOW MONOPOLY WORKS.
A fine example of how the
railroads of this country put on
the screws" is revealed by a
study of the statement of earn
ings issued annually by the Del
aware, Lackawana and Western,
one of the anthracite coal carry.