The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-18
ANTITRUST CAMPAIGN BEGUN
FIRST GUN FIRED At EACH END
OF THE CAPITOL.
The House Votes $1,000 TO Enable the
Attorney.General TO Enforce the Shcr.
man LAWN the senate MIR. Hoar
Presents the Number and Title of .
hin which He viii Prepare Later
and which win Then he stamped With
the Approval OF the Administration.


and which win Then he stamped with
the Approval OF the Administration.
WASHINGTON. Dec IL To day the long
threatened antitrust campo gn was opened
at both ends Of the Capitol Ever since
Congress met. on Dec. l. there have been
vague but persistent rumors of what would
be done with trusts as soon IS the Senate
and House Of Representatives could get a
chance at them, but until to-day nothing
had materialzed beyond the Introduction
OF food oil propositions in the lower
house, spasmodic meetings Of the Judiciary
Committee, followed by the announce
ment OF Chairman Jenkins that he was not
TO be regarded as a trust BUSTER and
finally this afternoon the passage of a
rider on regular appropriation bill max
ing an appropriation of $500 900 in response
to the appeal OF the Attorney q ene raj
for money with which to carry out the pro-
visions OF the existing Sherman Antitrust
law
In sharp contrast with all this activity
i'll the House Of Representatives and the
evident anxiety Of large number of gentle
men on both aides OF the chamber TO assume
the role Of trust busters the Senate has
been rs silent as the sr We. Not a sound
has come forth. Btu ..is afternoon, to the
surprise Of all his colleagues, Senator Hoar,
chairman OF the Judiciary Committee,
solemnly rose and not only inaugural ed
a trus,-busting campaign, but established
a new precedent in parliamentary pro-
cedure Without a word Of apology and
without the suggestion Of smile on his
Pickwickian features the venerable soma
tor asked leave of the Senate to present
at some time within the next two or three
days. when the Senate will not he in session,
IA bill on the subject Of trusts.
Mr. HCar is always law unto himself
in the Senate. and 40 nobody thought Of
objecting to such an unusual proposition.
He thereupon introduced the title Of his bill
and IL was duly numbered Senate Bill
$3.50" Then came the ii tie A bill for
the regulation Of trusts or corporations
engaged In international or interstate
commerce
The text OF the measure which il is in
tended to attach to this ominous title has
not yet been prepared. but it is the UNDER
standing that it will be written tomorrow
or the next day, and that soon afterward
the body Of the measure will he fastened
10 the head. and when the Senate meets
again the finished product will be referred
to the Judiciary Committee. What Mr.
Hoar intends to put into the bill that has
reached no further than having q number
and name nobody knows. not even him
self. As the first step in its prepar alton
he will have a consultation. probably to-
morrow, with Attorney General Knox. and
when the perfected bill comes forth It will
he stamped with the approval Of the Ad-
minis,ration and will be duly considered
by the committee on this basis.
When Congress met two weeks ago Mr..
Hoar was Of the opinion that no bill on the
subject Of trusts would be framed or re-
ported by the Committee on the Judiciary
At the present session OF Congress, and
he may be Of this opinion still.
Some time after the publication OF Sena-
ter Hoar's interview he had long talk
with the President by appointment. when
the importance OF securing trust legis-
iSton al the session was impressed upon the
isiin y,lished Senator, and II was suggest ed
nat ne take up the matter in conjunction
Nth the Attorney General and see what
cDuli be cone toward framing, considering
anl getting q vote upon bill. At meet ing
If the Committee on the judiciary last week
The subject Of trust legislation came UP
lIt TUldllN, u was dkIttO tTdt All
General Knox should he consult ed and an
rlcrt made TO see what, il anything. could
lie done to carry out the views Of the A.
r. is''a'i,'
At that time it was thought that the At
torney- General would not be consulted until
after the committee had proceeded to con-
slider such bills as might be on its calendar,
but change in that programme Is now in
dictated by the action OF Senator Hoar in
introducing number and title and obtain
ing the permission OF the Senate to follow
them up with bill after he shall have pre-
pared it. Nobody knew that Mr.. Hoar
Contemplated this move, and he frankly
said that he introduced the skeleton entirely
upon his individual responsibility. 1t may
be that after his bill is framed. with the as
distance Of the Attorney-General,a and re-
ferred to the Committee on the Judiciary. IL
will slumber there in accordance with Mr.
Hoar's original belief that the time of the
session is too short to formulate any legis-
lation on such an important subject.
IL seems to he the opinion Of Senator's
much consideration that what the Admin
istration desires is a bill framed on the
lines Of Attorney General Knox's Pitts
burg speech.
lie acuon in the House to-day was begun
by MIR. Bartlett OF Georgia, ", q served AS
prosecuting attorney and a. Judge in the
local courts Of his State prior to his cleo.
ton to the Fifty-fourth Congress He
moved an amendment to the L. gisla,ive.
Executive and judicial apuiS i,.al,or.
I'm. giving the AttorLcy-tiere,ai s250,mO
e. enable him to enforce the Sherman
An,i-T ust law, and directing mm TO
prosecute Niolators Of those statutes.
There was hurried consultation
Of Republican leaders on the floor
over the question Of invoking the rules
forbiddng legislation on appropriation
bills. The amendment, in their opinion,
was clearly subject to the point Of order,
but they decided not to press IT, Gen,
Bingham rep. Pa. in charge of the bill,
announced their decision, saying he would
make no point against it.,
Mr.. Overstreet of the Committee on the
Judiciary. which has the subject under
consideration, pointed out that the amend
WAS not in good legal form. and al his sug-
gestion Mr.. Hepburn rep, Ia.) offered
as q substitute the bill lie introduced on
the first day Of the session. giving the
Attorney-Genera $500, 600 for this purpose.
This Mr. Bartlett accepted, and after some
political pyro,echncs by Messrs Cochran
Diem, Mo- and GrosNenor rep, Ohio)
regarding the attitude OF the parties TO
trusts the amendment was adopted with
out division The appropriation is made
Immediately available Mr.. Cannon gave
tic proposition his approval, saying that
IL no other provision had been made by
that time he had intended to conclude the
half million in the Sundry Civil Appropria-
l,GI bll