The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-10-28
tons of capital which work for the
restraint of trade and the ruin of COM
The Issue.

The Paramount Issue.
The president and his advisers are
agreed that the trust question is the
paramount issue with the people Of
the country, and that it will be for the
best interests of the republican party
to meet this issue and dispose of it
at the earliest possible moment.
After the November elections are
over political motive alone cannot be
charged to the administration in
pressing antitrust legislation in the
coming session. AS this will be the
short session of congress with final
adjournment on March 4, there will
not be time for the consideration of
many important questions besides
those of the annual appropriation
bills. 1t is probable, in fact, that the
antitrust bill in being allotted the
right Of way will preclude action on
other pending questions such as the
question Of reciprocity and the ship
subsidy.
1t is understood that the proposed
antitrust legislation will not be in
the nature of an amendment to the
federal constitution, but rather an i'm
proved and revised act strengthening
the efficiency of the Sherman anti
trust law.
AS regards Cuban reciprocity many
of the presidents advisers have lost
interest in it's enactment. They
point to the fact that Cuba has not
shown Jealous regard for this coun-
try's interests in the island, nor has
it manifested an overfriendly DISPOSE
ton to extend cur trade relations
rtth it.
Several politicians of prominence af-
ter seeing the president recently have
intimated the question of Cuban
reciprocity might we'll rest in abey-
lieved, now will be the presidents at
titude.
A Tariff Commission.
1t is understood also that the pres
ldent in his annual message will rec
ommend the appointment of an ex-
pert tariff commission to consider
and report on the question of what
reductions, if any, SHOULD be made in
the tariff schedules. 1t is not like
ly that this question will be carried
further in the next session of con-
gress than the appointment of this
proposed commission.
An attempt will be made, accord
ing to the prediction of certain poll
ticians, to enact the Fowler currency
bill. The demand for this legislation
has increased by virtue of the recent
money stringency and the attempts of
the secretary of the treasury to meet
the demand.
The Fowler bill, as has already been
pointed out, would INCREASE the cur-
rency in circulation and would be
most valuable in preventing such con-
tingencies as that which has lately
arisen.
Ship subsidy. it is believed, will not
be pushed in the coming session. Its
adherents are still keeping up hope
of it's eventual enactment, but indica-
lions are hat further consideration
of it will have to go over to the Fifty
| eighth congress.
The president will bend all his en-
ergies toward getting antitrust legis-
lation. 1t is expected that a cabal in
the senate will attempt to obstruct
the passage of the bill, but public
opinion is depended on to convince
these tools of corporation a%ggrandize-
ment that they would better yield to
sensible conservative legislation than
to try to defer it and thus INCREASE
public Indignation against them and
the interests they represent.