The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-03
Pretended TO He Eager to Repress
Trusts, Yet Defeated Proposed
constitutional Amendment.
SURPRISE FOR DEMOCRATS
WHO ATTEMPTED To MAKE P0LTTI-
CAL CAPITAL, BUT DID NOT.
Amendment Exempting Labor Organ
izations Promptly supported
by Republicans.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, June 2--By 27S yeas to
nay, the Littlefield antitrust bill passed
the House this afternoon. Representative
Overstreet, who reported the measure from
the judiciary committee, occupied thirty
minutes In making a detailed explanation
of the bill. He began by commenting on the
strange fact that, while the Democratic
and Populist parties have rent the air with
their denunciations OF trusts and have. In
their platforms, formally declared In favor
of legislation restraining them, yet when
an effort is made to engraft upon the stat
ute books practical and consistent legisla-
zion in restraint OF trusts, the members OF
those parties have placed every possible
obstacle in the way OF the enactment or
such legislation. He showed that the Con.
stitution does not confer on Congress the
full power necessary to control trusts anu
crush them where they are evil. and then
recited the action of the Democratic and
Populist minority In Joining hands yester-
day to prevent the passage through the
House of the amendment to the Constitu-
ton so as to enlarge the powers of Con-
gress as to enable Ii to grapple with trusts
In an effective manner. Democratic and
Populistic support having failed, Mr. Over
street declared that "the situation, there
fore. is that the Republican party must
fight this battle alone, because It received
no aid from the other parties Of the coun-
try and the action OF yesterday demon
strated that it can expect none In the
future.
'The proposed constitutional amendment
having failed" he continued, I'VE are left
Of NJ
that is the bill now under con-
sideration, which goes to the con-
fines and limits OF present consu-
tutional power. 1t amends and
strengthens the present antitrust law
enacted by a Republican Congress and ap-
proved by a Republican President July ?.
1890" Mr.. Overstreet then analysed the
two proposals of the Democratic party for
the control of trusts and eradication OF
their evils, publicity as urged by Bourke
Cochran. and the removal OF all customs
duties on articles made or produced by
trusts. as proposed by the present Demo-
cratic leaders OF the House. On these heads
he said:
'It was suggested that publicity in the
business of these concerns would be ample
to disclose their operations and in that way
reach solution. That nature Of legisla-
ton commended itself fairly well TO the
committee, will say. but publicity, while
reasonable requirements must be general
in its operations. so that If we would seek
to disclose the operations of large con-
Germs We cannot escape the necessity OF
applying the law to small concerns. Hence.
the committee was Of the opinion that the
injury which would result to the small
concerns, doing a limited business only
and in no way likely or even possible to
grow into a monopoly. would overweight
by far the benefits which would result by
requiring the large concerns to submit to
this method of publication.
FREE TRADE NOT A REMEDY.
'"The second proposition was to obtain
by legislation absolute free trade in all ar
ticles made or produced by the so-called
trusts and monopolies. This process OF leg
islation was entirely consistent with Dem
ocratic policies Of legislation. They have al
ways. since their birth. favored absolute
free trade. But we were confronted with
the situation that that would not be suf-
fciently effective. for the reason that
trusts and monopolies exist I'm absolute
free-trade countries. and hence the with
drawal Of the tariff from any article which
may perhaps be controlled by a trust would
not in itself solve the question. More than
that; We have here I'm this coun-
try evidences OF monopolies and
trusts I'm articles which have
no protection under our tariff laws.
and consequently we are led to the
reasonable conclusion that the action of
the tariff upon these articles is in no wise
responsible for the development OF a busi-
ness into the magnitude OF a monopoly.
These proposals of the Democratic rnem-
bers OF the House 10 throw open the tioorp
and destroy the protective policy which ths
Republican party has advocated and estab-
lished were only made for the simple ana
bold purpose of injecting into this question
the political element upon which they de-
pend for their stock in trade" The alter
native. Mr.. overstreet explained. was 70
amend and strengthen the existing anti
trust law as proposed by the bin under
consideration, which he then explained In
detail.
The Democrats made numerous efforts 70
amend the bill In accordance with their
States rights theories. but were unsuccess-
full The last amendment proposed by them
was intended 10 make untold quantities OF
political capital for expenditure In the pres
idential campaign this year. IL was that
nothing in the bill should apply to labor
unions or other organizations created for
the purpose of regulating wages hours of
labor or other conditions under which labor
Is performed This amendment they held
back TO the last. expecting 10 find In Il a
coup de politique which would utterly dass
and bewilder the Republicans. II was .
dismal failure as a coup. The Republicans
supported IL almost to a man. Mr.. Bah