Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1914-06-19
CHARGES PLOT TO
DELAY TRUST BILL
Wilson Accuses Certain Inter.
eStS Of Opposing Him
WILL PUSH PROGRAM HARDER
Declares Campaign Is Being Carried
On Against Antitrust Measure ane
For a Rate Increase For Railroads.

VI q mate iUIl case Y Ut Ndiii odA1s
President Wilson made the direct
charge that sentiment in favor OF the
pOstpOnement OF the administration
trust legislation program was the re
sule of a campaign Of certain inter
ests.
The president intimated that it was
the cause of the Psychological bust
ness depression" OF which he recently
spoke.
In support of the presidents views
copies Of letters and kilograms circu
lated among business men calling fOt
an adjournment of congress without
completion of the trust bills, praying
for the freight rate increase being
asked by the railroads of the inter
state commerce commission and call
ing for a halt Of the attacks OF bust
ness" we're made public at the White
House.
Not since President Wilson made
his charge of IAN insidious lobby" in
Washington to influence tariff legis
lation has there been a sensation Of
such a sort in official circles. News Of
what the president had said and Of
the giving out of the circular letters
spread quickly to the capitol, where it
became the subject of animated dis
cussion in both houses Of congress.
President Wilson made it clear tc
his callers that the campaign, II such
it may be called, would have no effect
upon 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, and that it would be less
harmful to the business of the cOun
try to have the trust legislation pro
gram completed than to De confronted
with a period of uncertainty which
would accompany delay.
One of the circular letters, which
came into the possession of the White
House. was circulated by the Simmons
Hardware company. of st. Louis. L
C. Simmons, the head of the company
had been selected to be a member Of
the federal reserve board. and his
nomination was to have gone to the
senate.
II was announced at the White
House that Mr.. Simmons had declined
the place. and that Charles S. Ham
lin. of P0ston, now an assistant sec
retary OF the treasury, would be nom.
mated il his place
White House officials emphatically
denied. however. that the circular let
ter sent out by the Simmons company
had any connection with the declina
ton of Mr.. simmons.
One circular letter, made public
purDorted to have been sent ont by
the Pictorial Review company, OF New
York. ard was signed by w. p. Ahneli
as presifont. It was dated May I, and
enclosed dra't Of a letter (which
embra ps the views of a majority Of
the tri7 ing business people of oul
section of the country and which
should ba addressed to the president
members OF Tie interstate commerce
commission respectively" The letter
ended
aft you prefer to use copies Of the
enclosed letter we will mail you as
many as you can conveniently use.
It will be more effective, however, If
YOU write them on your own letter
heads"
The form letter attached was an
appeal for postponement Of trust leg
islation and five per cent freight
rate increase for the railroads. A copy
of a night telegram containing the
contents Of the form Letter in condens
ed terms was attached.
The letter purported to have been
sent out by the Simmons company
was dated June 9, which was after
Mr.. Simmons had been offered place
on the reserve board.