The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-09-06
FORMER SENATOR ASKS
THE COLONEL QUESTION

washington, september Ct TUT
mer Senator Henry Clay Hansbrough
of North Dakota is out with an
open letter to Theodore Roosevelt
in which he asks whether the colo
mel will appoint George w. Perkins
as the head of his proposed indus
trial commission. Mr.. Hansbrougn,
who previously was engaged in con-
troversy with Colonel Roosevelt over
the harvester investigation, makes
charges connecting Perkins friend
ship for the progressive leader with
that case In his letter he says:
"My Dear Colonel: In an inter-
view of the 18th inst. you say: I
will tell everyone that there is not
a fair question which can be asked
me to which / am not ready to give
fair reply that / believe will be
convincing"
"In your Boston speech of the
18th, when someone in the audience
asked, Say, how about Perkins? p
you explained so as to leave the
impression that at first you were
somewhat suspicious about the pro-
priety of Mr.. Perkins support of
you, but that when he assured you
that you were the only public man
who was trying to bring about such
conditions as we ought to have you
accepted his support.
Asks a Fair Question.
"Now l propose to submit "a fair
question to you, but before doing
so it will be necessary to refer
briefly to some past political and
present industrial history. l also
have had a little experience with
Mr.. Perkins, or rather with the
monopolistic concern which he or
ganized about year after you be-
came president of the United States.
Mr.. Perkins and his trust were in
politics then as they are now and
according to repeated statements by
Mr.. Perkins himself he was a per-
sonal friend and admirer of yours
long prior to that time and has
been ever since. From what you
said in your recent Boston speech
one would imagine that your &C.
quaintance with Mr.. Perkins began
with the present campaign. In other
words, those who do not know to
the contrary would suppose that this
was his first appearance in politics.
The history to which | have refer
red does not sort we'll with such a
supposition.
Combine Business With Politics.
THE International Harvester trust,
put together by Mr.. Perkins during
the summer of 1902, in defiance of
the plain terms of the antitrust law
which you had previously taken an
bines business with politics in re-
markable degree. 1t is not only the
most insolent and dangerous mo,
nopoly that we have, it is also the
most insidious and powerful political
machine in existence. | was an eye.
witness to its operations in at least
one campaign and know whereof
| speak. If it employs like methods
! in your behalf now | congratulate
you upon having Mr. Perkins on
your staff of confidential managers
"As | have said, it is an insidious
! and powerful political machine
This is due to the nature of the bus.
mess in which it is engaged
! Through it's army of agents and
"block" men it reaches directly
every farmer in the country, and in.
directly multitude of merchants
and shopkeepers in the small cities
and villages. There are hundreds
of these employees of the trust in
every state in the Union, particular.
ly in the west and middle west, and
they know the political necessities
OF their employer They come into
immediate contact with the voters,
and there being no longer any com.
petition in their line of business,
they are in position to grant favors
or to withhold them as their help.
less customers are amenable to their
desires, or the reverse.
One Word From President.
Before putting my question, colo.
mel, let me say that in my judgment
one admonishing word to Mr.. Per.
kins from the president of the
United States in 1912 would have put
an end to his efforts in creating
the present monopoly in agricultural
! machinery. Instead. Mr.. Perkins was
welcome visitor, confidential ad.
wiser at the White House, and to my
personal knowledge, exerted a pow.
erful influence in blocking the wheels
| OF justice in the Washington depart.
ments, thus escaping prosecution.
Says He Fostered Trusts.
Further, one word from the presi
dent in 1907 would have saved the
Tennessee Coal and Iron company
from being absorbed by the Steel
trust. But in neither case did you
/, raise any objection. 1t is the plain
truth to say-and / regret being
obliged to say it-that yours was
the protecting and fostering hand
that saved these trusts from prose
cution during the seven years. OF
your administration They would
be the worst ingrates if they did
not support you now, and l make
no complaint in that regard What
d1sturbs me is the apparent weak
ness of considerable number OF
people who, it would seem, are con
tent that you and Mr.. Perkins
should deceive them. While pro
claiming yourself as the champion
! or the masses, in reality, in view
of your alliance with George w
Perkins, the political scout of Wall
street, you are "a foe to be most
dreaded by the people.
! Strong Hand and Strong Box.
SO that with the strong hand
to say nothing of the strong box
of Mr.. Perkins and his trust to heir
you in this campaign; with an abso
lutte agreement between you and Mr.
Perkins on line of governmental
policy which recognizes the Interna