The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-05-22
CONGRESSIONAL GRIST-
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.



mittee on Judiciary Tuesday, con-
stitutional amendment finally being
adopted by party vote, giving Con
Sress power to define, regulate, con-
troll prohibit or dissolve trusts mon
opolies or combinations, wether in the
form of a corporation or otherwise.
The United States Supreme Court has
sustained the constitutionality of the
war revenue tax on inhertanceS in the
II. j. Knowton case, New York. JUS
tice White read the opinion of the
court. Suit was brought to recover the
tax paid. The decision declares the
tax is not repugnant to the constitution.
The contention that Congress has no
right to impose tax was also held to
be unsound. Neither is the uniformity
clause of the constitution violated, de-
clared the court. The claim that the
| imposition of n progressive rate is sub
versive to the fundamental conception
of free government is held to be unten-
able.
Attorney General GODDARD of Kan
sas reached here Monday with the
avowed intention of filing in the
United States Supreme Court an in
junction suit in the name of the state
of Kansas against the state of Colo
RADIO. The proposed suit is to prevent
the diversion of the Arkansas river
by Colorado irrigationists. thus pre-
venting the natural flow of the stream
into Kansas and. as claimed, DANA
! ging to the extent of many millions
| of dollars the farmers of that state.
Contrary to expectations, Mr. GODDARD
did not file his application for an in
| junction and he announced to-day
that he would not file it until the May
term of court, which opens May 18th.
10, I'M.
&c canals has presented its written re-
! port upon the Nicaragu canal bill.
| The report includes the statements of
! Admiral Walker and other members
| of the commission appointed to investi-
gate the various routes and also the
| conclusion of the committee with refer
ence TO both the Nicaragua and the
! Panama routes. The committee takes
/ strong position against the proposition
/ to build the canal via the Panama
route. paying for the work already
done by the French. The declaration
is made that the Panama company is
l practically without assets, except
those included in the Panama rail
road.
Congress must ONE to the aid of
the administration in bringing C. II.
w. Neely, the Cuban defaulter. to jus
tice. A new law must be enacted. and
enacted at once, which will tighten the
/ governments hold ON him. Every loop
hole of escape must be closed. Attor-
ney General Griggs has forwarded to
Senator Hoar ehairman ,,dIIr Of anh the senate
gressman Ray. chairman of the SIM
liar committee of the House, copy
of a bill drawn especially TO meet the
present emergency. He accompanied
the bill with n strong letter, pointing
out the necessity for its prompt pass
age. He expressed the hope that the
measure may be passed without de-
lay.
The Senate committee on Indian dep
relations has reported favorably Sen
ator Warren's bill to strike out the
amity clause of the act providing for
the settlement Of Indian depreciation
! claims. 1t will be recalled that the
original act required the claimant to
show that the Indians who destroyed
! his property were at amlty with the
I United States. This requirement bar
red hundreds of Legitimate claims aris-
, ing from the raids of Indians in Texas.
Arizona. Wyoming, New Mexico. Utah.
Idaho and Washington, as well as in
some of the states further east. 1t
| was found to work great hardship and
injustice to legitimate claimants. and
| consequently Senator Warren introduce
| ed n bill to cOrcrct the law. II is i'm
| possible to predict the outcome of the
bill at this session. but it is almost GER
/ tain to pass the Senate. though ii NAV
be stalled in the House.
! The House committee on expositions
! Is very nearly ready to report n bill
| appropriating S5OOO,OO0 in aid of the
| exposition which the people of St
Louis propose TO hold in 1903 to com
al. ~.
| ana territory by the United States.
| The bill provides that the $1,000. 900
from the government shall be loan
| in the pickwiclSian sense. repayment
! being contingent upon the success of
| the exposition. The st. Louis people
are required TO sell for cash ut par
| $4,000, 900 worth of stock and are
| authorized TO issue S5.00O0 900 worth of
ton are to he applied first to the pay
ton are tobeapplied first to the pay
ment of the actual expenses. and, if
there is any surplus, one third of the
same is to be paid to the government
before anything is applied TO the pay
ment of the interest or the principal
| on the bonds-in other words. the
! government is 10 be preferred part
| ner in the enterprise.
! In view of the significant references
| to the enforcement of the Monroe doc
trine by Secretary Root, Senator Lodge
and other prominent men. the State
Department has taken steps to secure
data ON the subject. The burden of
these speeches has been the startling
Increase of the German colonies il.
| South and Central America which
have been regarded as menacing the
Monroe doctrine. Ii also has been ais
| serted that these German colonists
maintain their home customs in the
new land, deal almost exclusively with
Germany, use only the German lam
guaSe, have almost autonomous gov
ernments within the limits Of American