The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-04-25
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THURSDAY, APRIL IS. 1912.
The FEAR OF POLITICAL LOSS.

THE FEAR OF POLITICAL LOSS.
Confidential correspondence which
passed between President Roosevelt
Attorney General Bonaparte and Com
missioner Herbert Knox Smith OF the
bureau Of corporations in 1907 about
government antitrust suit against
the international Harvester company
was sent 10 the Senate yesterday af-
ternoon from the files Of the depart
ricnt Of justice. The correspondence
shows the part politics played in the
fight on the trusts.
one letter from Colonel Roosevelt 10
Ny. Bonaparte written at oyster Bay
or August p. 1907. said that the col
onei bad had conferences with George
". Perkins about the company's af-
fairs and directed Mr. Bonaparte not
u Gle the suit then but % 20 over the
matter with Commissioner Smith and
Mr.. Perkins.
A letter from Commissioner Smith.
r. the Colonel on September Il told oil
conferences with Mr. Perkins and
stated Commissioner Smiths obiec-I
lions 70 a prosecution az that time.
The commissioner wrote that he
thought the question Of the company's
guilt or innocence Was merely a tech
nical question. and told Of a confer
ence with 3fr. Perkins on August "a.
Commissioner Smith wrote that SIR
Perkins concluded with great emphasis
that r.. after all the endeavOrs Of this
company and other Morgan interests tOl
uphold the policies Of the administra-
ton and 10 adopt their methods Of
modern publicity, this company was
now going 10 be attacked I'm pureiy
technical case. the interests he rep
resented were going TO tight
Further on In the same letter. Mr.
Smith wrote.
while the administration has
never hesitated to grapple with
any financial interests. no matter
how great when h. Is believed that
. Substantial wrong d. being COM
mitted. nevertheless IL Is very
practical question whether IL ls
well 90 throw away now the great
influence OF the so-callcd Morgan
interests which. up 10 this time.
have supported the advanced poll
icy u the administration. both In i
general principles and Ia the appli-
cation thereof u their specific in
terests and 10 place them general
w in opposition I believe Mr..
Perkins statement that his inter-
csts would necessarily be- driven
into active opposition. VAS sin
ecrc enc. and. in fact J can hard
D. see how these great interests
can take any other attitude should
this prosecution be- started nd the
final adoption NJ this policy be-
made public"
Ia another portion Of the letter.
Commissioner Smith reported SIR.
Perkins AZ having said substan-
TALLY that "the STANDARD oil peo-
plo ~ New York were giving him
the laugh Tor having thought he
was trying 10 be good and keep
solid with the administration aud
that De- was now going 20 get the
Same dose as tho others"
All Of which y very Illuminating TO
The public.
Are the good" and bad" trusts
10 DC determined by the amount OF
political influence they have?
Looks like #. doesn't it? II 30. pres
ident Taft cant look for much support
from the trusts. for nc hag gone after
them rough shod without regard Tor
tho political harm They might do him.
In fact the administration Is even now
preparing 10 enter dissolution suit
against the international Harvester
Colonel Roosevelt has been quite
busy OF late attacking the Taft regime,
and the patience Of the president IL
exhausted. SO II Is not surprising
that the administration is beginning
10 turn its guns on the Colonel.
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