Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-09
Wilson Replies
To Col. Roosevelt

Kansas City. Oct S.-Gov. Woodrow
Wilson in his speeches at Topeka,
Kan, today. and here, tonight. replied
to Col Roosevelts request. that the
Democratic nominee prove or re-
tract the declaration that the United
States Steel Corporation is behind the
Third party program for regulating
trusts
Tire governor reiterated that the
Steel Corporation was "behnd the
Third party program in thought and
added that he knew nothing of any
financial support.
Il understand from the newspa-
pers.3 said Gov. Wilson in his Topeka
speech, that Mr.. Roosevelt was dis
tressed by my suggestion that the
United States Steel Corporation was
bacl, of his plan for controlling the
trusts.
He interrupted this remark to
mean that they were Supporting him
with their money. 1 was not thinking
about money. do not know whether
they are supporting him with their
IAttttt& vi lIOtf IL ioRS not iildk3 diN
difference What ! meant was. they
are supporting him with their thought,
and their thought is not our thought
| meant and | say again. that the
kind of control which he proposes is
the kind Of control that the United
States Steel Corporation wants.
Il am perfectly willing to admit
that they think It is best for the
country My point is that this is Il
method conceived from the point of
view If the very men who are to he
controlled, and that chat is just the
wrong point of view from which to
conceive it.
The = governor charged that the
Roosevelt program was mot progress
siye at all in its fundamentals, and
remarked that Ebert Gary, head of
the Steel Corporation. and George w.
Perkins director, suggested the plan
of governmental control of trusts.
And if Mr.. Il oosevelt,' said the
governor, is willing to have Mr. Per-
kins suggest now tie corporations
ought to be regulated. why will he
not be willing to take suggestion from
the same quarter as to the detail of
the regulation? Mark you, l am not
discussing individuals | know Mr..
George w. Perkins. | have no quarrel
with anything except his judgment.
He does not look at these things that
men that 80 not wish to aceustom
their minds To monopoly look at them
1--WE have an inside to our government
and an outside. Mr. Roosevelt wants to
patent the inside. He says it is good
enough inside for him. provided he can
use it. | do not mean use it for his own
acknowledgements, but provided he can
use it for the people of the United States,
for I am not critieizing Mr.. Roosevelt's
motives
Il have nothing to do with them. The
are postponed until Judgment day.
Il dare say he believes what he says,
but in spite of his extraordinary capacity,
I do not believe he can play Providence
10 the human race quite so successfully
as that and | am strengthened in that
doubt by the fact they have fooled him
on two notable occasions already.
..'Efe will not admit that he was rooled
but their is evidence that he was taken
into camp. as any man might be raken
into camp who does not understand the
whole business of the United states. I
certainly do not and if men of expert
ence in these things come to me and de-
clare upon their honor that so and so has
to be done to avoid catastropsy / have
no knowledge sufficient to match their in
formation | am not blaming a man be-
cause lie has been taken into camp. but
! do blame him for proposing to per-
petuate an arrangement which win make
it dangerous lest he should be taken INTO
camp again..
Gov Wilson had a strenuous day in
Kansas. making speeches at Norton,
Clyde, Phillipsburg. Topeka and other
points AT Phillipsburg, speaking OF mo-
nopolies, he said:
Mr.. Roosevelt wants to get on their
backs and ride them, but he does not
want to put them out of business. And
I, for my part, would not trust any man
in the United States, however patriotic
however honest or however able. to gov
ern the trusts in such fashion that they
will be kind to us.