The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-12-26
HOW COL ROOSEVELT DROVE
GOVERNOR WILSON TO ACT.

GOVERNOR WILSON III All.
In the last campaign Governor
Woodrow Wilson made the mistake
of attacking Colonel Roosevelt on his
trust record while President The
specific charge was that Col. Roose-
Welt had failed to prosecute the Steel
Trust and the Harvester Trust, and
that he had permitted the Steel Trust
to buy the Tennessee Coal and Iron
Company.
Colonel Roosevelt promptly replied
in his usual frank and vigorous
manner giving the reasons why suits
were not brought in these cases and
at the same time showing that he had
resurrected and vitalized the Sher-
man antitrust law and had brought
more actions under it than all of his
predecessors combined.
Colonel Roosevelt further called
attention to the fact that New Jersey
was the State in which all the big
criminal trusts got charters and
sought State protection and that Gov
ernor Wilson had done nothing to
correct the trust evil, though he and
his party had always contended that
it was the duty of the States, rather
than the Federal Government to
break up the trusts or to at least
regulate them.
For some time Governor Wilson
did not reply. At last he issued a
staetment to the effect that he could
not do anything because he had a
Republican Legislature On his hands
The following editorial in the Wash
ington Star tells the remainder OF
the story:
Governor Wilson is now busy
with a question of far greater
Importance than the selection of
Cabinet. He is taking thought
of the trusts, and advising with
eminent lawyers as to action.
The Jersey Legislature soon to
assent les is to hear from him on
the subject.
Many prominent Democrats
hold that, in a large measure,
the trust question Is a State
question; that view of the case
subjected Candidate Wilson to
criticism during the Presidential
campaign. Why had he done
nothing as Governor of New
Jersey to correct the trust evil
in that State? The evil existed
there to greater extent than
in any other State. New Jer-
sey, indeed, was headquarters
for trust interpretations. An eff
fective thrust there would be
felt both there and elsewhere.
What explained his inaction?
Was he talking against trusts
purely for campaign purposes?
Candidate Wilson feh the
criticism of Governor VIII. on,
and replied to it. He ;pleao d
helplessness, and pointed to a
Legislature controlled by the
Republicans. 1t had stood in his
way. If he had possessed the
power he would have exercised
1t.
We'll, the November elections
remedied this difficulty. That is
to say, the Democrats carried
the Legislature, and when that
body organizes in January Dem
ocratic control Of the State will
be complete. If the Republicans
have been blocking the wheels
their power has ended. The
trust question and other ques-
tons are now with the Demo
Gratis for solution.
What is Governor Wilson's
trust remedy? What will he ask
the Legislature to do? That por-
ton of his message will have a
national interest and bearing.
For what he recommends to his
own State, IL sounds and work
able, should be applicable else
where as State proposition,
and moreover be worthy of at
tention from a national point of
view. There is national end
to the question: and whether
the States do something or moth