The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-06-18
GREAT INTERESTS TRYING
TO POSTPONE ANTITRUST
LEGISLATION SAYS WILSON

Washington. June 16.-President
Wilson made the direct charge today
that sentiment in favor of postpone
ment OF the administration trust legis-
lative program was the result of a
campaign by certain interests and init
mated that it was the cause of the
psychological business Depression" of
which he recently spoke.
In support of the presidents view,
copies of letters and telegram circu-
lated among business men calling for
an adjournment of congress without
completion of the trust bills, praying
asked by the railroads of the Inter-
state Commerce commission and calling
for a halt of the attacks on business"
We're made public at the White House
Will Not Deter Him.
President Wilson made it clear to
his callers that the campaign, if such
it may be called, would have no. effect
on him and that it was his plan to push
the trust program through the Senate
with the aid of all the means at his
command. He expressed the view that
business was as good, if not better now,
than a while ago, n that it would
be less harmful to the business of the
program settled than to be confronted
with a period of uncertainty which
would come with delay.
Among n circular letter which
came into possession of the White
House was circulated by the Simmons
Hardware company, of st. Louis. e. c.
Simmons. head of the company, had
been selected for a member of the fed
eral reserve board and his nomination
was to ave zone to the Senate today.
Th1s morning, it was at the
White House. thai Mr.. Simmons had
declined the n19pn and thot. Char1ac A
Hamlin. of Boston, now an assistant
secretary of the treasury. would be
nominated in his place. White House
officials emphatically denied. however,
that the circular letter sent out by he
Simmons company had any connection
with the d~eclination of Mr.. Simmons.
Urged Rate Raise.
Another circular letter made public,
purported to have been sent out by the
Pictorial Review company, of New
York, and was signed by w. p. Ahnelt,
as president. 1t was dated May 1, and
enclosed a draft of a letter (which
embraces the views of a majority Of
the thinking business people of our
section of the country and which
should be addessed to the president Of
the United States. the congress and
members of the Interstate Commerce
commission, respectively"
The letter concluded:
IF you prefer to use copies of the
enclosed letter, we will mail you as
ann vas you can conveniently use. It
will be more effective. however. if you
write them on YOU letter heads"
The form letter attached was an APP
peal for p~ostponement of trust legis-
lation and a 5 per CEN freight rate in
crease for the railroads.
A copy Of a night lettergram con-
tanning the contents of the form letter
in condensed terms was attached.
Not since President Wilson made his
charge of AN insidious lobby in
WASHINGTON to influence tariff legisla-
ton, has there been a sensation of such
a sort in official circles. News of
what the president had said of the
giving out of the circular letters,
spread qupickly to the capitol. where
1t became the subject of animated dis
c%ussion in both houses of congress.
The letter purporting to have been
sent out by the Simmons comany was
dated June 9, which was after Mr..
Simmons had been offered a place on
the reserve board. This letter was not
given for publication with the
others.