The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-11
SEEK Partly CAPITAL
Republicans Work Congress For
Campaign Material.
LEADERS ARE SCARED
EXPLANATIONS MADE OF VOTES
ON ANTITRUST BILL.
Especial Correspondence.9

tn6 tSepuDlCan leaders TO make some
political capital for the campaign. The
party managers are beginning to be-
lieve that the house Of representatives
is hopelessly lost to them; that the
chances of Bryan's election are stead
lily increasing; and that it will only
lie with the greatest difficulty that the
senate can be held for the gold stand
ard.
The demand for a tub to the anti
trust whale led to the presentation Of
the proposition TO submit a constitu-
tional amendment to the legislatures Of
the several states. This was rejected
by almost straight party vote, the
Democrats, Populists and silver Re
publicans opposing it because they be
lieved that the trusts could easily be
reached by legislation if the majority
really desired to curb them.
Two of the Rocky mountain repre-
entatives-Campbell of Montana and
Newlands of Nevada-voted for the
amendment. Representative Campbell
said to The Herald correspondent that
while he did not believe the RepubH
cans were honest in their offer to sub
nit the amendment, he would not
withhold his vote from a measure
which even nominally proposed to curb
and restrict the trusts. Mondell of
Wyoming, the only Republican con-
gresham from the Rocky mountain
region, also voted for the amendment.
Called Confession Of Impotence.
The other mountain state congress-
men-Shafroth, Bell, King and Wilson
all cast their votes against the meas
ure. Representative Shafroth of Den
yer stated their attitude in an inter-
view today. He said:
"Any vote in favor Of that joint reso
luton was an open confession that
congress has not the power to prohibit
or curb the trusts. 1t would take
somewhere from four to eight years
before a constitutional amendment
could be presented and receive the rat
ificatiCn Of q sufficient number of
states If the joint resolution submit
ting the amendment had been enacted
it could be used as an explanation why
no direct legislation is undertaken
against the trusts.
Il believe that it is quite within the
power of congress at the present time
to control the trusts: % by forbidding
them the use of the mails; (2) by re-
pealing the tariff on articles made by
trusts; 90 by prohibiting railroads
from transporting their products under
the interstate commerce law. Enact
ments of this character would certain
ly go far toward remedying the trust
evil, and all are quite within the pow
er of congress-
War Revenue Cut "By and By"
In the closing days of the session the
Republicans are also arranging to re-
duce war revenue taxation by and by.
This subject could easily have been
taken up months ago, but that, of
course, would have involved the neces-
sity of really doing something, instead
of only talking about it, which would
not have been at all to the liking of the
administration leaders.
The house ways and means commit
tee has now been authorized to sit
during the congressional recess for the
purpose of forming a revenue reduc-
ton bill to be presented to the house
next December. The work viii be di-
vided under three heads: First, the
collection of general information con-
! corning the manner in which the war
taxes have borne upon the people at
large, and the special industries whose
products were taxed; second, the Civ
ing of hearings to those interests who
desire to make special representations
to the committees; and third, the
! QtdLLlIS VI lliG AGFClAuC AC0uNNAOAi
measure.
The first feature mentioned viii be
chiefly clerical work, and will be car
ried on in the name of the full COM
mittee, but the duty of listening to
those who desire to present oral argu-
ments viii devolve upon a sUb-cOm-
mittee that will be appointed within a
short time. The drafting of the bill
itself will also be ostensibly the work
/ of the subcommittee, but viii be
| passed on by the full Republican mem
| bership of the committee before it is
presented in the committee or the
/ house.
Revision of Tariff Doubtful.
| Whether the tariff as we'll as
the war revenue act will be revised
| cannot yet be determined. An import
ant phase of the tariff question is GER
| tain to be considered for the reason
/ that the war revenue act provides a
/ customs duty on tea, which many peo-
! pie are demanding shall be taken off,
and for the additional reason that dur
| ing the consideration of the measure in
/ the house and senate it Will be in order
/ at any time to move as an amendment
any provision relating to the increas-
! ing or decreasing Of a customs tariff
| tax.
The present high tariff on tea, equal
| to at least so per cent ad valorem, was
added in the senate within a day or
| two of the final passage of the war
revenue act. and after positive assur-
ances from the Republican leaders that
no such tax would be imposed.
Work of Collecting Data.
It is the present expectation that the
clerical staff of the committee will be
, employed during the larger part of the
/ campaign in gathering such informa-
! ton as is available concerning the oper-
alton of the war revenue act, special
attention being given to determining
with as much accuracy as possible the
! extent to which manufacturers, deal
ers and consumers relatively bear the
! special taxes levied upon certain pro-
/ ducts.
! Briefs win be received at any time
from interested parties, and it is un-
! derstOod that a series of hearings will
/ be given in September and October, if
not earlier. The treasury department
will also contribute data as TO receipts
and expenditures for the fiscal year
I closing June 30, 1900. and as to the
practical operation of the war revenue
act upon affected industries. It is adj
mitted that the actual work of draft
! ing the bill will not be taken up until
after the elections, when the committee
will have month in which to frame
! a measure for presentation when con-
gress reconvenes.
Payne Makes Explanation.
Chairman Payne makes the following
explanation Of the reasons why the
ways and means committee has post
Doned until next session the work OF
| cutting down the war revenue taxes.
The object of the committee in ask
ing to sit during the recess is that we
may frame a bill with the aid of greater
I liorht 1L-hinh I-nllla b Ihrnm-n hA the