The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1912-10-30
Steel TRUST bAcn
OF tn. TRUST PLAl
Charge Challenged, Gov. Wilsd
Returns With Prompt and
Convincing Answer.
COUNTRY WAITED FOR CLASH
Wondered Il It Was 70 Produce
Parallel Of Parker EpisoGs-%ore
Proof IF It Is Wanted.

Proof If It Is Wanted.
When the country read on the morn
ing Of Oct. S the charge OF Woodrow
Wilson before his audience in Colo
TaGo that the steel trust is back Of the
Roosevelt program Of trust regulation
and in the same papers Colonel N0ose.
Telt's demand for proof os the asser-
ton it sat up and took notice. Would
this produce parallel Of the famous
episode Of the 1904 campaign, when
the colonel called Judge Parker a liar
for asserting (what has been so re-
Gently rroved) that the corporations
were contributing to the Roosevelt
campaign?
There was eager waiting for Cover
nor Wilson's answer. 1t came prompt
ly the next day in his speech at Kan
sas City. Concisely, convincingly and
dispassionately Governor Wilson met
the Roosevelt challenge, and should
the controversy be pressed further the
Democratic candidate will give the
Bull Moose all he wants, for the cor
roboration whereof he spoke is abun-
dant.
Wilson's Charge.
At Pueblo, the center Of the western
steel industry, Governor Wilson said
Evidence of what am about to say
comes to me by way Of corroboration
every day in forms that cannot ques-
ton. 1t is a very interesting circurn-
stance that the United States Steel
corporation Is behind the third party
program with regard to the regulation
of the trusts.
"Now, do not say that to prejudice
you. I am perfectly ready to admit
that tbs officers of that corporation
may think that the third party Is the
best thing for the United States. That
Is not my point My point Is that these
gentlemen have grown up in the a.
mosphere of tho things they them
selves have created and that the laws
of the United States so far have at
tempted to destroy the things that
they have created and that they now
want a government which will perpet-
uate the things they have created.
you therefore have to choose now
government such as the United States
Steel corporation thinks the United
States ought to have or government
such as we used to have before these
gentlemen succeeded in setting up pri-
vate monopoly"
Rooseveft's Challenge.
The same night at Albany, N. Y,
Colonel Roosevelt upon reading reports
of Governor Wilson's speech said:
Gas far as I know the statement has
not the slightest foundation in fact
Mr.. Wilson has no business to make
such a statement unless he has the
proof, and if he has any proof 1 de-
mand that he make it public imme-
diately. If he has not let him retract
his statement as the only manly and
non QOraDle LllQS 10 90.
Wilson's "Retort Courteous"
The next night Governor Wilson
made this reply before the great au-
dience that greeted him in Kansas
City:
81 understand from the newspaper
reports that Mr.. Roosevelt was dis
tressed by my suggestion the other day
that the United States Steel corpora
ton was back of his plan for control
ling the trusts. He interpreted my re-
mark to mean that they were support
ing him with their money. I was not
thinking about money.
"I do not know whether they are
him with their money or
not. It does not make any difference.
What meant was that they are sup
porting him with their thought, and
their thought is not our thought.
meant, and 1 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 the best for the coun-
try. My point Is that this is a method
conceived from the point Of view Of the
very men who are to be controlled and
that that is just the wrong point Of
view from which to conceive 1t.
eff Mr.. Roosevelt is willing to have
Mr.. Perkins suggest how the corpora
tons ought to be regulated why will
he not be willing to take suggestions
from the same quarters as to the de-
tails of the regulation? Mark you, Ia
dies and gentlemen, am not discuss
ing individuals. l know Mr.. George
Perkins. | have no quarrel with any
thing except his judgment. He does
not look at these things in the way
men who do not wish to accustom
heir minds to monopoly look at them"
There should be an immediate reyi-