Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-08

Washington, D. c., July Snow that
President Wilson's legislative program
has been practically carried out, men
of large business interests are to be
welcomed at the White House. ]. P.
Morgan, who called last week, was the
first of the potentates of big business
to see the president in long time. In
fact few men of his stamp have been
received at the White House in the
sixteen months Mr.. Wilson has been
there. James Speyer of the New York
banking house, James J. Hill, the vet
eran railroad man of the northwest,
and Andrew Carnegie are about the
only ones that are recalled as having
received admission to the executive
offices. Except in the case of Mr..
Speyer the visits of the two others
were somewhat personal.
There has been severe criticism of
the president for iraccessibility to men
of large affairs in the country. The
criticism has likewise applied as to the
men in other walks of life. Hundreds
of the nations big men have either d.
rectly or indirectly sought to have in
terviews with the president or ex-
pressed to friends a desire to get in
touch with him, but the time. of the
president has nearly always been &C.
cupied, and he was unable to make
many engagements.
1t has been explained by those close
to the White House that the presi-
dents motives in declining to make
dates, in addition to lack of time for
these appointments, have been high
and thoroughly understood by his init
mate friends. So long as the presi-
dent was working upon definite legis-
lative program he did not care to be
put in the position of having this pro-
gram influenced in the slightest degree
by representations from men of big
business. These representations were
welcomed by letter, the same as the
representations of the men in the hum
the huge powers of the business world,
the president has been able to go for
ward with his extensive legislative pro-
gram for sixteen months without the
intimation from his enemies of being
influenced in his work.
Although keeping in touch, |
the newspapers and intimate
personal friends, with their views of
these views were not pre-
scented throuh interviews solicited |
from the White House. and there is |
now no one who can charge that the |
source of single legislative inspira- |
lion has been from Wall street or big |
business centers.
Having completed his legislative pro-
gram, or reached the point where he |
can see this completion, the president
feels free to join with men of big and |
little business in an interchange. of |
hought and information as to what is /
going on in the world at large.
He has promised business .consti- ,
ution of freedom" from further legis- |
become law, and it is the purpose of |
he president to give every help he can
% boost business to a high state of
1t is practically settled by the ad-
that while big business
will have to conform to the new trust
avs, no branch of the administration
will be permitted to harry business or
attack it for mere political reasons
Business is to get the rest il has so
ong craved and sought for, and the
PRESIDENT will put himself at the head
II the movement to restore business TO
prosperity along the
venues the government holds to be
egal.