Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1912-10-17
THE LIGHT TURNED ON.

u NJ
II must make the friends Of Roose-
velt vince to read the disclosures
which have been coming out through
the Clapp committee now in session
in Washington. They show that MI.
Roosevelt when q candidate for presi.
dent in 1904 had the support Of the
steel trust, of the oil trust and tho
harvester trust. Developments since
shcw that Mr.. Roosevelt as president
returned the favor to at least two Of
the trusts that he permitted the
steel trust to take over q competitor
by which the Morgan interests made
s69.000,0 900; that he put stop to 4
legal proceedings started to break up
the harvester trust, giving orders
that nothing further be done without
word from him; and that he has since
brought forth proposal to legalize
m monopoly and 10 put stop to all At
tempts to enforce the Sherman anti
trust law, it being the general under
standing that this very thing was first
suggested by Geoge w. Perkins Of the
steel and harvester trust and lirec-
tor in fifteen different trusts and cor.
preparations; and that nearly every
man interested in special privilege in
the country was not only for Roose-
yelt inTl904 but is for him in 1912.
The testimony of John d. Archbold
president of the Standard OH COM
pany, developed the fact that Mr..
Roosevelt aud Mr.. Archbold were on
such good terms that they correspond
with each other, and letter from
Mr.. Roosevelt to Mr.. Archbold has
gone into the record in which Mr..
Roosevelt expressed the hope that he
would be able to secure desirable
appointment for relative of Mr.
Archboldl
1t further develops that two men
put up nearly one-third of million
dollars to secure for Mr.. Roosevelt
the republican nomination for the
presidency. One of these was Boss
Finn who swears on the witness
stand that he put up $l44, 900 for
Roosevelt. 1t was through Mr..
Roosevelt's influence that this COR
rupt boss was restored to power in
Pennsylvania and Mr.. Finn cynnical-
ly says that II think 1 made good
investment. The other was Dan r.
Hanna who was indicted under the
Taft administration for taking re-
bates. President Taft refused to in
teree in Hanna's behalf and Hanna at
once became a progressive. He
admits on the witness stand that he
put S177 900 of his money into the pri-
mary fight for Roosevelt. Thus these
men gave 1921 ,0OO-nearly q third Of q
million-to beat Taft and nominate
Roosevelt. Both of them represent
special interests and both of them are
enemies of the people.
Chairman Charles d. Hills testified
on the stand that he estimated the ex-
penditures in Roosevelt's behalf in
the primaries at not less than 81, ,OOO.-
600. The correspondent Of the New
York Evening Post puts it lat leasta
million dollars Already the ex-
penditure of $e67, 900 has been traced
and admitted.
What are the people going to do
about it? Are they going to permit
Roosevelt to sell them out to tho
trusts2 Are they going to follow the
Roosevelt leadership to the extent Of
abandoning the fight against the
trusts and admitting that it is fail
ure? Are they going to confess. that
monopoly has come to stay. that it
must be legaiized, and that the
Sherman anti-trust law must be re-
pealed. Are they going to sentence
the American people to pay dividends
for all time on the billions Of watered
stock which went into these trusts
and combinations when Roosevelt
was president? Senator La Toilette
says that when Roosevelt became
president there were l49 trusts in the
country. When he left the white
house seven and one-half years later,
there were over 10, 900 combinations.
In these were 20 billions of watered
stock. Roosevelt now says that
nothing can be done. His election
next month will be confession of it.
1t would be the most reactionary step
ever taken by the American people.
NO JOKE AT ALL