The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-16
FIGHT FOR DELAY
|NCENSES WILSON
Determined to Press Trust Legis-
lation Program Through
at This Session.
"BIG BUSINESS" is ACTIVE
White House Makes Public Let
ters Showing Tactics Used to
Defeat Administration

Washington. June I5.--President
Wilson came out to-day with a fiat
decla ration that. despite what he
characterized as n deliberate campaign
by certain interests to secure adjourn
ment OF Congress and postponement Of
the administrations trust legislation
program. he would use every influence
at HIS comnan nd to get the pending bills
through the Senate at this session.
Choosing his words carefully. the
President disclosed hia belief that or
Sanized distribution OF circular let
ters and telegrarns among business
men, members OF Congress and other
public officials, calling for an adjourn
mont Of Congress, a halt In tho trust
bills, an increase IN freight rates for
the railroads and a rest for business"
responsible for what he recently
described as psychological depres-
sion
WILSON MAKES PUBLIC
LETTERS AND TELEGRAIS
In support of that view. the White
House made public copies OF lAtters
and tclcgrams brought in by friends
OF the administration. one letter was
circulated by the Simmons Hardware
Company. of St Louis under date OF
June 3, Just prior to that date. Pres
ident Wilson had offered TO T.. - Sim
mons. president OF that company. a
place on tho Federal Reserve Board
To-day, JUS. before the President eX-
pressed his views on the trust pro-
gam. IL was announced that MIR sim
mons had declined the appointment.
and that Charles :. iIamln, OF Boston.
would be nominated in his stead
White House officials cmphatlcally
denlcd that tho Simmons letter had
anything To do with the dcclinatlon OF
the appointment. II was said. however.
that the President did not know OF the
.ctter when he offered Mr Simmons the
plnc..
TIE Presidents declaration and the
publication OF the letters created =
mild sensation. approaching that which
followed the Presidents denunciation
OF tho "insidious lobby" v',jch he said
was threatening the ta. bin last
year Senators and Representatives
discussed the situation. but no action
Was taken.
one OF the letters made public. pur-
ported to have been sent out by the
Pictorial Review Company, OF New
York, was signed By W =. Ahnclt,
president under date OF May l. II
accompanied prepared letter pro
testing against trust legislation. pray
ing for n freight rate increase. and
suggesting AN adjournment OF Con-
trcss. with the further suggestion that
the recipien; mail copies 10 the Pres
ident, members OF Congress. the In
terstate Commerce Commission, and
other officials IN Washington
PROSPERITY Is LOST
SOMEWHERE IN COUNTRY
TIE letter signed by Ahnelt saws
that prosperity has been lost some
where in this country owing to the
'nischievous activities of the poll
ticiahs." and that the draft of an in
closed letter embraces the views of n
majority ot the thinking business pco-
pie Of our section"
In part. the form letter for trans
mission TO public officials. was as fol-
lows:
oe1,
american people. In the name OF COM
mon sense. why, wantonly harass bus
iness at this juncture. when IT is strur-
Cling for Its very existence?
why threw more thousands of men
idle. when SO many families arc AL
ready starving?
why subject business to any cx-
perimental legislation now. when it is
not prosperous? Postpone it, Drastic
action on your part is peril at this
time. What we dc need is a little
building up-no more tearing down.
me granting OF the petition of tho
eastern railroads for n 3 per cent
freight increase will GO more for tho
prosperity OF the country than all leg
islation against unlawful restraint ana
monopolcs
The continual scnseless attacks nv
governmental bodies upon merchants
railroad. industrial and mercantiIc
corporations, revision of the tariff and
.,
ing business to such an extent that Il
has thrown hundreds Of thousa nds ou,
or employment, reduced wages and de-
creased values in railroad Industries
and mercantile corporations to the ex
tent of at least $4,000, 600, 900
THE most serious situation that
confronts the country to-day is tho
fact that unemployment is growing
more acute. We ask Congress to halt
before 1t is too late. POSTPONE all anil
business legislation"
prepared telegram much to the
same effect, but in condensed terms.
was attached.
three things which stood in the way of
prosperity were the Mexican situation.
the awaited advance In freight rates
and continued hostile legislation in
Congress. 1t said in part:
Especially do we recommend that
no further attempt at Legislation on
the matter of the control or business
or passing of antitrust laws should
be continued at this time. What the
country needs more now than any.
thing else is quiet tme--an abso-
lutte rest from the agitation of politics
and assaults upon husiness-it does
not make any difference whether 1t is
big business or little business.
I'VE. therefore, strongly recommend
and earnestly hope that Congress may
be convinced that they have done
enough lawmalting for the present:
that the country is absolutely tired
and surfcited with political agitations.
and that the agitation now of the con-
troll of business is exceedingly inturi-
GUS and VIII serve 10 retard an i'm
provement In business which other
wise would be very great and rapid
we submit these arguments or rea-
sons to you, asking you and praying