Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-08-23
TO FIGHT TRUSTS.
THE ANTITRUST LEAGUE AND
KNIGHTS OF LABOR WILLACT


Effort to Clear a MaIcfactor Because His
Father is Rich and Of Course in Sympathy
with the Powers that Be-Will Sampson APP
pear or Sail Away from the Court Of Inquiry?
Senator McCuIom Lands His Sonin-Law in
the Office of Comptroller Of the Treasury.
(From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, August l6, 1901.
The adage about birds that can sing
and won't sing should be equally APP
plicable to public officials. At least,
that is the unanimous verdict of
Joint committee from the American
Antitrust League and the Knights of
Labor, and most unprejudiced men
are likely to vote aye. These gentle
men know that the Attorney General
of the United States can do his duty,
by proceeding against the big steel
trust for having violated the Sherman
antitrust law, and they are deter
mined to make him do it or know the
reason why. They are proceeding in
business-like way; have employed
two lawyers-ex-Attorney General Mo-
nett, of Ohio, and Mr.. A. A. Lipscomb,
of Westinghouse collect evidence of
the violation Of the Sherman anti.
trust law and submit it to the Attor-
ney General with q demand that he
begin legal proceeding in the name of
the United States against the trust.
Speaking Of their intentions, Mr.. H.
b. Martin, chairman of the Joint COM
mittee, said: ain the event OF the
complaint being blocked in the Attor-
ney Generals office, or il he does not
consider it advisable to act in the
matter, we have decided to lay the pa
pers in the case before the President
OF the United States. In fact, we are
prepared to take steps for a mandamus
proceeding if we are pushed to ex-
tremes, but it is doubtful if either of
the last two named actions will be
necessary, and we are proceeding with
the idea that there will be no bitches
of any description. They are also
preparing to bring legal actions
against the steel trust under the laws
OF the States in which it carries on its
business. The action OF the commit
tee is receiving endorsements from
every direction and some of them
have been accompanied by the stron-
get evidence of genuineness-cash
contributions to aid in paying the nee.
essary expenses.
Strong pull is being brought to bear
on Secretary Root to save Capt. ]. c.
Read, a son of O rich iron manufac-
turer OF Pittsburg, who was convicted
by court-martial OF completely in the
comissary frauds at Manila and sen.
fenced to three years in the military
prison, at that place, to be dishonor-
ably discharged from the army.
Reads lawyers have secured promise
from Secretary Root to review the
case. One OF the claims OF the law
yers is that the court martial was ir-
regular because nine Of its members
were officers OF the regular army that
Read being q volunteer officer was en-
titled to trial by court composed ex-
clusively OF volunteer officers. But
the strongest claim in Reads behalf is
that represented by his daddie's dol.
lars.
II the story that Sampson might
not appear before the Schley Court of
Inquiry was put out as feeler by the
anti-Schley gang in the Navy Depart
ment to ascertain how the public
would take some sort OF official jugg.
ling that would enable Sampson to
avoid the trial which his cross-exami-
nation by GERRY" Wilson, Schley's
chief counsel, lie certain to be, as many
suspect, they must be thoroughly con-
WINGED by the howl it raised that the
public will not stand for any such
business as that. 1t was Sampson
who was Schley's first accuser and
who was mainly instrumental in the
formation of the naval clique which
has so persistently sought to ruin
Schley, and it is Sampson who must
either clear himself or forever con-
denim himself. Although the clique
pretends to talk as though Sampson
had no more interest in the court than
any other officer who happens to be a
witness, every mothers son OF them
knows that as soon as that court gets
started it will be plain to all the world
that it is Sampson, and not Schley,
who is on trial, and it is . great deal
more likely that the report and recon-
mendations OF the court will be
against Sampson than against Schley.
In view OF these things it is absurd for
anybody to talk about Sampson not
appearing before the Court.
Senator Tillman, OF South Carolina,
passed through Washington this week.
In reply to questions he expressed the
opinion that Senator McLaurin was
losing, instead Of gaining strength;
that if the primary election were to be
held at this time he could not get
more than 10000 Of the 5000 votes
OF the State, and that he has abso.
lutely no chance of being named for
Senator at the primary election to be
held next year.
Senator Cullom, of Illinois, will not
figure in history as Q great statesman,
but when it comes to political decker
ing he can hold his own with the
slickest of them. He has as good as
landed the nice position OF Comptrol-
Ter of Currency for his son.in-law. w.
B. Ridgeley, and the way he did it
was IS pretty bit of political decker
ing as any politician could have done.
When Mr.. Dawes, who is after Senat-
or Billy" Msson's seat with the back
ing of the administration, resigned the
comptrollership, to take effect Oct. l,
be got Mr.. McKinley's promise that
an Illinois man should have the place.
Then Cullom got Dawes 10 endorse
his son-in-law, and afterwards got
Mason's endorsement, thus combining
the heads OF the two factions among