The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-25
TRUSTS COME OUT ON TOP
saERMAN's BILL BOMBARDED IN
THE SENATE.

its COnstitutionality- Senators
Raise Other Points Against 1t.
WASHINGTON, March 24-In the Senate
to-day several petitions against the ratifica-
tion of the extradition treaty with Russia
having been presented from Massachusetts,
and Missouri, Mr.. Hoar said he would once
more raise the question as to their presen-
tation in open session.
THAT was decided the other day.n said
MIR. Vest, "by vote of the Senatem
1T was decided Mr.. Hoar replied,
when there were veryfew present and in the
absence of the members of the committee
on foreign relations. / think that the de-
cislon should be reversed at once.n
II had supposed until the other day" said
Mr. Dawes, that there never was q question
but that such petitions should be presented
III executive session. That vote the other
dav seemed to be departure from custom"
II have no choice about it myself. |
should like full Senate,n said Mr. Cock
Tell, when the point is discussed. / think
that the Senate did right the other day."
The point of order was withdrawn by Mr..
Hoaf for the time being.
THE WAR ON TRUSTS.
The bill to declare unlawful trusts and
combinations in restraint Of trade and pro-
duction wasa taken up, and MIR. Turpie
addressed the Senate. He discussed the
constitutional points involved and con-
cluded by expressing belief that congress
had the same power to regulate interstate
commerce that the states had TO regulate
commerce within their own lines.
Mr.. Pugh followed Mr.. Turpie in an ar
gument in favor of the bill. He said the
existence of trusts and combinations had
become matter of public history, and the
magnitude and oppressive and merciless
cha q = Of tho Qvill racu1fir,c, frnr,
had caused universal inquiry to be made
whether congress could not do something
to prevent or mitigate those evils and those
intolerable exactiOns. He had no doubt
that congress had the power TO make such
trusts and combinations criminal and pun
ishable.
LACK OF A QUORUM.
AT the close of Mr.. Pughs remarks Mr..
Platt made point of order that there was no
quorum present, and a call Of the Senate
was thereupon ordered During the call
many senators entered the chamber, and the
result was that forty-Seven senators
answered to their names and regular pro-
ceedings were resumed,
The amendment offered by Mr. Reagan,
being his antitrust bill, was the first ques-
tion to be voted on.
Mr.. George said that he considered the
amendment, as he did the bill, as utterly
WlbuO0O WdIId4lU III bu6 COISUICullO0. BuC
he regarded the amendment as more eff
cient than the bill il an unconstitutional bill
could be efficient, and for that reason he
should ''at this stage Of the game, or rather
OF the proceedings" [laughterl, vote for the
amendment.
WOULD PROHIBIT THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.
Mr.. Teller said that he was in tull SYM
pathY with the objects Of the bill. TIE only
question was how trusts and combinations
could be controlled. The bill, he said,
would apply to the farmers alliance and the
national farmers league, which were or
ganized with the avoWed purpose of increas-
ing the prices of farm produce--a thing
which he regarded as most desirable and as
absolutely essential to the prosperity OF the
country. He did not want to go to the ex-
tent of ofinterfering with organizations which
he thought were absolutely justified bv the
remarkable condition of things in the
country.
KNIGHTS OF LARoR ALSO INCLUDED.
Mr.. George referred 10 the Knights of
Labor as another organization that would
come within the scope Of the bill, because
tho object of that order was to increase
their wages, and consequently to increase
the cost of production.
The discussion took q wide range and
drifIed from Mr.. Reagans amendment to
that offered by Mr.. ingalls, (ained at deal
IDSS III IuJlT6S ana ODDlODS).
Mr.. Stewart argued that such q measure
as tho pending bill would reach every trans
action in life, and would be particularly
oppressive to the struggling masses who
were making combinations to resist accu-
mulated wealth. Its practical working
would be to crush out the efforts of the peg
pie who were striving to protect themselves
against oppressive monopolies Besides, he
did not find any warrant in the constitution
for GnOO 10 nTiGlation IF tbo hill
stitutional it would permit the prosecution
of the farmers Of Iowa or Kansas who com
bined to hold back their corn until prices
were better. He regarded as the worst
combine IN the country that which made |
money scarce.
LICENSING GAMBLING.
Mr.. Blair opposed the Ingalls, amendment |
as baing really legalization or licensing of |
the crime of gambling in futures on condi- |
ton of paying high tax.
Mr.. Hoar condemned the bill as made |
quate to afford the relief it purported to |
give and characterized it as a "quack |
Mr.. sherman retorted by asking Mr.. |
Hoar what genuine remedy he had to pro- |
pose if the bill under discussion was a ''quack /
He said that if the duty on |
cotton cloths or wooden cloths was a little |
too low to protect the manufacturers OF |
Massachusetts,, not q month or a |
day would be allowed to pass |
before he (Mr. Hoar) would demand a rem |
edy in the way Of raising the duty. Here |
was remedy for greater wrong than any |
that resulted from a low tariff
Mr.. Hoar replied to Mr.. Sherman, and |
intinated that some other doctor ought to |
be called in to consider the case, or that |
some other remedy besides court plaster |
should be prescribed for it.
VEST GROWS SARCASTIC
Mr.. Vest aimed some sarcastic remarks !
at Mr.. Sherman, denying that there was |
in that senator's career that gave |
him the right 60 assume that he had dis !
covered the only remedy and road to success |
against combinations. He (Mr. Vest) ob- |
jected TO the bill because, in his Judgment, |
it would effect nothing; because, as |
q lawyer, he believed the supreme court |
would not entertain it for a moment: /
because it destroyed all his ideas of limita-
tions of the constitution; because it was
against tho letter and spirit of the judiciary
net Of l7S9. and because IL was ''souud and
fury, signifying nothing" For the senator
from OHIO TO assume that he alone had found
a remedy for the evil was, TO say the least, |
the limits Ct parliamentary
HIsCOCK AGAINST THE BILL.
Mr.. Hiscock spoke against the bill as not
promising any relief
Mr. Teller did not believe either that tha
.fIg .uY,,fI afrlrI anN snlfaf aUafpat fba !