Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-06-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Irregular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, June 4, 1900

Members of the administration
are breathing freer now that the end
of the session Of Congress Is in
sight-adjournment will take place
this week-with no more investiga-
tions Of official crookedness pro.
vided for. Senator Jones, Of Ark,
threw administration circles into
compton fits several days ago by
his speech demanding an investiga-
ton of how the $50, 100000 voted
by congress to prepare for the war
with Spain was spent, and express
ing the opinion that Mr.. Mckinley
should be pleased to have an oppor-
tunity to clear himself of the fear
full stories in circulation. Mr..
Mckinley was pleased to escape
that opportunity.
Senator Morgan got the Senate
to agree to take up the Nicaragua
Canal bill December 10, and give
it the right of way until disposed
of. That was the best he could do.
The only vote in the House
against the Littlefeld bill to amend
the Serman antitrust law, was cast
by republican, Representative
Mann, of III.
Representative De Almond, Of
Mo-, told the republicans some dis
agreeable truths in his speech
against their make believe proposi
ton for a constitutional amend.
mant authorizing Congress to CON
troll trusts, which was defeated 10y
democratic votes. After telling
them that the proposed amendment
bore upon it's face irrefutable evil
dence that it was not intended to
be placed in the constitution TO COR
troll trusts, bat to be placed in the
campaign to delude voters, Mr. De
Almond said "To what chapter
of your republican performances
can you turn and hope for approval
from the people; ! do not chide
you for trying last desperate ef-
fort as a final resource TO get some
thing out Of this amendment. If
you get anything out Of it, it will
be because the American people are
far more stupid than | think they
are, ard because delusion is much
more attractive to them than plain
conduct and honest acts. Can there
be anything in the proposition that
because you label this antitrust,
we shall not look beyond the label {;
You have labelled many things
other than they are. There is not
a package of your political nostrums
that will bear inspection. 1t may
be taken by label, but it cannot be
by sample, much less by tests Of
reasonable qualities. The power
of the people to meet and overcome
trusts would be less 4 this amend
ment were in the constitution, than
it is today. am willing to amend
the constitution, but | am not will
ing to amend it so az to take from
forty five states the power they now
possess to create and control cor
porations. You propose to take
control of these corporations
You propose to say which one of
them you will denounce and destroy
if you destroy any of them, and
which you will shelter and protect.
am opposed to that kind of legis-
lation. Trusts have grown within
the last three years as they have new
er grown before. They are might
Ter, they have invaded new fields,
conquered new provinces, made new
slaves and are mightier today than
ever before. And yet you say 70
the people wait until we get con
stitutional amendment and such q
constitutional amendment !"
To drop into slang. it may be
said that Secretary Hay got the
"horse boot" from the Senate
when he asked in the name of Mr..
Mckinley, that the Spooner Phil
ippiue bill be passed before adjourn
ment. The republican leaders
know that the democratic Senators