“I do not intend to play a demagogue. On the other hand, I do intend to, so far as in me lies, see that the rich man is held to the same accountability as the poor man, and when the rich man is rich enough to buy unscrupulous advice from very able lawyers, this is not always easy.” The Supreme Court was skeptical of executive power, and Congress uneasy about extending a president’s authority to the world of business. The trusts were a quandary that McKinley was willing to set aside. His populist opponents made it into a cause.
