The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-04-27
Friends Believe 1t Will Garry
Bay State
EVEN ROOSEVELT MEN SAY
It Will Make Impression-Hope for a
Check in Colonies Response-Evi-
dence of Favors to Steel Trust
When He Was President.

Washington, April 81 President
Taft's Boston speech will carry Massa-
chusetts for him.
This is the sincere opinion of the
Taft Republicans in Washington, from
Senator Crane down, while the Roose-
welt men privately admit that it will
make profound impression on the vot-
ers not only in Massachusetts but every
where else. The Roosevelt men are
counting upon the third term candidate
for a return blow that will neutralize
in part the effect of the presidents
sober, but piercing, criticism Of the col
onel and are saying that Roosevelt has
welcomed the Taft attack as giving
the colonel the excuse for hurting charges
against the president which he other
wise would have kept TO himself. Presi-
dent Taft and his advisers took this like
lihood into consideration when it was
decided that the president should 90 to
Massachusetts The presidents discus
sion OF the issues between himself and
Roosevelt is regarded as all the more
effective because OF its dispassionate
tone; and in calculating the effect OF
his words, the point is made here that
Mr., TAFT has confined himself to a
pithy statement of record which al
ready has been written and cannot be
changed by anything Roosevelt may
say.
Bluff old Senator knute Nelson of
Minnesota surprised his colleagues on
Thursday by contributing few words
relating to the former president and
his friendship for tka steel trust He
told the story of how in l902-03, the
Senate passed bill creating a depart
ment of commerce.
A bureau of corporations was added
to the proposed department by a House
amendment which, however, gave the
bureau little or no power. Senator Nell
son was chairman of the committee on
conference on the part Of the Senate,
ard while the bill was pending in con
ference, he says, Roosevelt sent for him
and handed him an amendment giving
the commissioner of corporations pow
err to investigate corporations and to
gather such information az would en-
able the president of the United States
to make recommendations to Congress
for legislation for the regulation OF such
commerce and to report such data to
the president from time to time as he
shall require. "Now, listen to this Ian
gUuge," said Senator Nelson, as he read
the Roosevelt amendment: And the
information so obtained, or as much
thereof as the president may direct,
shall be made public demurred
against that part Of the paragraph ;.
continued Senator Nelson. But | was
told that the only way to get full in.
formation was TO leave it to the presi
dent TO determine whether such infor-
nation should be made public or not
We finally agreed to the amendment
Immediately following the panic Of
1907, the question came before the iu-
dietary committee OF investigating the
merger and consolidation of the Tennes-
see Iron & Coal company with what
Is commonly called the steel trust
While the investigation was pending it
was referred to subcommittee OF
which was a member We tried to
ret Information about tire 50 called steel
trust from the bureau of corporations.
We applied directly to Commissioner
smith He refused to furnish this in
referred us to the president
md from that course we could get moth
ng. We got this information. however.
hat tho president directed Commission |
4 Smith to send all the papers re-
ating to the matter to the White House |
md that be got the papers down there
It the White House, and, to use a slang |
'hrase, sat down ON them there. We 1
icver got any further"