The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-01-07
aANYTHING mo- BEAT WILSON,

IAN THING III BEAT WILSON
That is the Roosevelt slogan-and
he will go to almost any degree to
bring it about.
Theodore's hatred for Wilson is
limited only by his capacity for hat
ing-the acid virulent sort in which
a disappointed and disgruntled man
abounds--as does Teddy.
And Theodore the Noisy has set
out in deep earnest to defeat Wilson
how, he does not care only so that
it is accomplished.
The preliminaries, it is believed,
were arranged at secret dinner
given by "Big Business" which hates
Wilson with an avidity and earnest
ness only equalled by that of Teddy
who was the guest of honor at this
clandestine meeting of the Captains
of industry"-who would each and
every member sacrifice a leg or an
arm if they could but again put one
of their ilk--like Teddy--into the
presidential chair in order that he
might do their bidding-as Wilson
will NOT.
In the light of what is now going
on, it is interesting to note the per-
sonnet of that select coterie of cap
tains of industry" who, by the invi-
tation of Ebert H. Gary, chairman
of the United States Steel Corpora
ton, met Teddy at the secret banquet
given at the home of Gary, the head
of the steel trust. There was, beside
Gary and Teddy, Jacob H. Schiff,
George F. Baker, George W. Perkins,
A. Baron Hepburn, Frank A. Wander
lip, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Frank B.
Kellogg, Daniel Guggenheim, August
Belmont, Clarence H. Mackay, George
B. Cortelyou, c. A. Coffin, chairman
of the board of directors of the Cen
eral Electric company; Henry Wal
tiers of Baltimore, railroad director
and director of the steel corporation,
and E. c. Converse, president of the
Bankers Trust Company. Says the
New York Herald: at was commented
upon as matter of unusual interest
that practically big financial group
was represented, there being partic-
ularly large representation of United
States Steel and Standard Oil inter-
ests. The various banking groups
represented, it was said, formed a
body for which no project could be
too big"
The fact that Theodore met repre-
sentatives of practically all the big
business and financial interests of the
country, and that was shrouded in Sc
crecy, was of political significance is
very generally conceded. But whe-
Their it foreshadows the appearance of
Colonel Roosevelt himself as presi-
Dental candidate, or was to further
his intense eagerness to cheat Will
son" with some other candidate is
wide difference of opinion.
The New York World reports, on
authority which it vouches for as
"very reliable" that it was the Colonel
himself who suggested the meeting;
that it was his overtures to "Judge
Gary and his old friends in the Steel
Trust which resulted in the presence
about the banquet board of score or
more of the nations big money men,"
1t is the Worlds information, also,
that Colonel Roosevelt protested, at
the meeting, that he himself is not
candidate, and that "his only present
political purpose is to bring about the
defeat of the Wilson administration;
that with this end in view he seeks
to marchal all the forces antagonis-
tic to the President"
Apparently, so opinion runs, it is a
case of needs must when the devil
drives. The great corporate interests
are welded, as ever, to the flesh pots
of protection. They do not and can
not take kindly to the tariff and tax
alton policies of President Wilson and
the Democratic party. The thing of
paramount Importance it to reinstate
protectionist in the presidential
chair, and back him up, if possible,
with a congress that will send up to
him high tariff bill to sign. 2"
1t is also stated that Teddy let it
be known that under certain condi-
tons he would accept" Judge Hughes
as the Republican candidate. Also
that he might be induced to look with
favor upon either of these two tickets:
For president, Theodore Burton of
Ohio; for vice president, Hiram john
son of California.
For president, Albert B. Cummins
of Iowa; for vice president, Hiram
johnson of California.
Even Root, it is stated, would be