The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-06-24
EXPOSES TRUSTS
DENOUNCES LONG
DISTANCE LOBBY
TO PREVENT REFORMS

TO PREVENT REFORMS
Campaign to Forestau Further Ac-
ton Sees Searchlight of Publicity
Through Presidents Utterances-
Reiterated His Determination That
Big Business Must be Regulated.
President Wilson came out Mon
day with fiat declaration that, de-
spite what he characterized as de-
liberate campaign by certain inter-
ests to secure adjournment Of con-
gress and postponement of the ad-
ministration's trust legislation pro-
gram, he would use every influence
at his command to get the pending
bills through the Senate at this ses-
sion.
Choosing his words carefully, the
president disclosed his belief that or
ganized distribution of circular let
ters and kilograms among business
men, members Of congress and other
public officials, calling for an ad-
journment of congress, a halt in the
trust bills, an increase in freight
rates for the railroads and Nrest
for business, was responsible for
what he recently described as q
psychological depression.
In support of that view, the White
House made public copies Of letters
and kilograms brought in by friends
of the administration. One letter
was circulated by the Simmons Hard
ware company of st. Louis under
date June 9. The presidents decla-
ration and the publication of the let
ters created a mild sensation ap-
preaching that which followed the
presidents denunciation Of the 'tin.
sidious lobby, which, he said, was
threatening the tariff bill last year
Senators and representatives discuss.
ed the situation.
One of the letters made public pur'
ported to have been sent out by The
Pictorial Review company Of New
York and was signed by W. P. All.
melt. president, under date Of May 1
It accompanied a prepared letter.
protesting against trust legislation
praying for a freight rate increase
and suggesting an adjournment o!
congress, with the further suggestion
that the recipient mail copies to the
president, members of congress, the
interstate commerce commission ane
other officials in Washington.
The letter signed by Ahnelt says
that prosperity has been lost some
where in this county, owing to the
mischevious activities Of the politi
cians," and that the draft Of an in
closed letter embraces the views o1
majority Of the thinking business
people Of our section" In part the
form letter for transmission to pub
| lie officials was as follows:
eve ask in the name Of the suf
fering American people, in the name
Of common sense, why wantonly ha
rass business at this juncture, wher
it is struggling for its very existence;
"Why throw more thousands o.
men idle when so many families are
already starving?
"Why subject business to any ex
perimental legislation now when it Ii
not prosperous? Postpone it. Dras
| tic action on your part is peril a
this time. What we do need is a lit
tie building-no more tearing down
1.-THE granting of the petition o.
the Eastern railroads for a 5 pei
cent. freight rate increase will dc
more for the prosperity Of the coun
| try than all legislation unlawfulre
strain and monopolies.
"The continual senseless attacks
by governmental bodies upon mer
chants, railroads, industrial meTcan
| tile corporations, revision Of the tar
iff and currency reform have resulted
in sinking business to such an extern
that it has thrown hundreds Of thou
sands out of employment, reduced
wages and decreased values in rail
road industries in mercantile cor
porations to the extent Of at leas
IS, 100000 1000.
"The most serious situation thai
confronts the country to-day is the
fact that unemployment is growing
more acute. We ask congress tt
halt before it is too late. Postpone
all anti-business legislation"
A prepared telegram much to the
same effect, but in condensed terms
was attacked. The Simmons letter
declared that the three things which
| SlOOu LII luS W dy VI SopS11SJ wa
the Mexican situation, the awaited
advance in freight rates and con
tinued hostile legislation in congress
1t said in part:
Especially do we recommend thai
no further attempt at legislation on
the matter of the control OF bust
ness or passing Of antitrust laws
should be continued at this time
What the country needs more now
than anything else is a quiet time
an absolute rest from the agitation
Of politics and assaults upon bust
ness. 1t does not make any differ
ence whether it is big business OF
little business.
eve, therefore, strongly recon.
mend and earnestly hope that con-
gress may be convinced that they
have done enough law making for
II =