The Coming Battle

It is expected that this week will witness the beginning of the government fight against the beef trust which is alleged to be responsible for the big boost in prices of meat. Attorney General Knox has gathered sufficient evidence to warrant action in a few days a bill to restrain the big combination will be filed in the United States circuit court in Chicago.

The action of the government in this case, as in the case of the Northern Securities company, is understood to be undertaken at the express command of the president. To say that the masses of the people are pleased with the courage of the president as manifest in these steps is to put the matter mildly. It is known of all men that these huge capitalistic concerns consider themselves in large degree superior to the law, or a law unto themselves. To require them to live up to the law is, therefore, to antagonize them. It is interesting on this account to speculate as to the effect of the government action on the future of President Roosevelt. It goes without saying that he has seriously offended some of the greatest money interests of the country by his action. J. J. Hill, the greatest railroad magnate of the northwest, is said to have sworn a solemn oath that Teddy shall never be nominated for the presidency, but if he shall happen to get the nomination, he shall never be elected. J. P. Morgan, who has always been, it is claimed, a warm admirer of the president, was likewise greatly offended by the action in the Northern Merger case. It is said, however, that he has not yet withdrawn his faith in the president. But it is a question of how much further he can be depended upon, if the president continues his fight upon the unlawful combinations. The Atlantic Steamship Merger promoted by Mr. Morgan is alleged to be illegal and it is expected that this will yet come to the attention of the president. There are likewise many of the western supporters of the president who want him to take up the cudgel against the United States Steel trust and this action, should it be taken, will be pretty sure to open up the whole tariff issue. President Roosevelt is said to hesitate to enter upon this fight. The great mass of the consumers of the country, those who are not provided for in the distribution of the pork in the Dingley law, would be with him in this as they are in his fight against the Northern Securities company and the beef trust.

Indications at the present time point to a fight in the next presidential campaign between the trusts and capitalistic combinations on one side and the masses of the people on the other. It is undoubtedly true that commercialism is a greater power in shaping government action today than ever before. Such a fight would, therefore, be a direct battle for the out and out control of the government. Such a contest would certainly be a battle royal. According to Walter Wellman, there are many politicians in Washington who are expecting it and who believe Roosevelt is the man to lead on the people's side. He says there are many who believe the president would win out in such a contest. But the power of money is great and many, many votes are susceptible to its influence.

General Smith, who is on trial before a court martial at Manila, admits that he issued the orders to Major Waller under which Waller put a number of Filipinos to death without any trial at all. He admits also that his order included the killing of Filipino boys of ten years. Military men predict that notwithstanding these admissions by General Smith he will be acquitted. In other words military men uphold General Smith in doing just what he, or his subordinates by his orders, had done. They quote the articles of war for their authority also. Evidently the Philippine war, in spite of our boasted humanity, has carried us to the very point where we made war upon Spain for her alleged inhumanity. Apparently there is no great difference between the humanity of the army of the Great Republic as it is now operating in the Philippines and the inhumanity of the Spanish army as it operated in Cuba. This is a humiliating situation and it is doubtful if the American people will stand for Weylerism in the Philippines of anywhere else. But the sort of thing which General Smith is doing over there is a direct outgrowth of the absolutism which our government is committing to its agents there. The officers of the army are quick to notice the authority which is directly delegated to so called civil government there and they very naturally infer that as the very foundation principles of the republic are abrogated in giving such powers to the commission as have been conferred upon it by congress, of course, the army will not be held to very strict accountability for its acts.

Our second district festive congressman seems to have made promises at Jackson as well as Ann Arbor relative to post office matters which he has failed to keep. There appears to be evidence in writing to the effect that he agreed there, as well as here, to take care of the good German contingent of the voting population and then when he received all the the help at their hands he could expect, he gave them the go-by just as he did Helber in Ann Arbor. They are sore over the matter, too. There is more in the air relative to these broken pledges. It begins to look to the man up a tree as though our Heinrich was mistaken when he said that he would have to run again as everybody wanted him to. We could count up a few of the hitherto faithful who evidently don't want him. It is not necessary at this writing to begin the count, however, as the list is still lengthening.

Washington dispatches indicate that Judge E. D. Kinne, of this city, is under consideration for United States minister to the Hague. The judge is in Washington and the Argue has no means of knowing his position relative to the appointment, but from the standpoint of fitness for the place the president would find it difficult to secure a better man. Ann Arbor and the state at large would be pleased to see the judge thus honored. He is in every way qualified to fill the place with credit to the nation, the state and himself. Judge Kinne is an able man, scholarly, diplomatic and tactful, and would grace the diplomatic service of the government. The argue but voices the sentiment of everybody in Ann Arbor in wishing the the position be tendered him.

Congressman Fordney, of the 6th district is out for a third term. Indications point to a rough and rugged road for him to travel to get there, however. He is likely to have as hard a time as our own Heinrich. Michigan is little given to sending men to congress for more than two terms. Too often the people are glad to be well rid of the men sent to Washington after they have served two terms. This is not to be taken as conclusive evidence that a congressman of the right kind is not worth more to his constituents in his third, or fourth, or even his fifth term than at any earlier period of his public service, but only that the men Michigan is in the habit of sending there as a rule succeed in the two terms generally given them so that they can serve the people best by remaining at home thereafter.

Ex-Postmaster Henry E. Edwards, of Jackson, proposes now to camp on the trail of Congressman H. C. Smith because he says Smith did not keep his pledges with him. Smith may be a great statesman, but he don't know how to keep in with the office-holds and those who would hold office. In the chief city of three of the counties composing his district, he has a bitter opponent either in a would-be postmaster or ex-postmasters. The only reason, it is presumed, why he has not a fight on in the other two counties is that he has not made any important change of postmasters.

Now comes the report that Stearns has really opened up his barrel and is providing for a large pay roll at Grand Rapids. Men are being engaged until after the state republican convention. Of course no money is to be used except for "legitimate campaign expenses." No money will be used for any other purpose, of course, for Stearns has said so. And Stearns won't be about such a little matter as that.

Senator Beveridge, the staunch supporter of the trusts, seems not to have even convinced the state republican convention of Indiana that these organizations in restriction of trade are all that the senator pictures them. The convention likewise denounced those trusts which are so busily engaged in increasing the cost of living, Beveridge to the contrary notwithstanding.