Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-12

Photograph by Rice.
regulation of trusts in the Fifty-sIxth Con-
gress. Indeed. his first speech in the
House. delivered the LIST of June, 1900
was an able argument in favor of a pro-
posed amendment to the Constitution con-
regulate and control. but also to prohibit
and dissolve any form of business enter
prise which the law should define as a
trust.
Antitrust Bills.
On the first day of the session Of Con-
gress lust closed Mr.. LittIefeId introduced
two bills in the House, one to amend the
act to protect trade and commerce against
unlawful restraint. and declaring every
contract or combination in the form Of a
trust or otherwise. in restraint of trade. to
be Illegal; the other requiring all corpora
tons engaged in interstate commerce to
file returns with the Secretary of the Treas
ury disclosing their true financial condi-
ton. Again on March II. last. he intro
duced third bill. a slight modification of
the one mentioned last.
These bills were all referred TO the in
dietary committee. and ii is known that
Mr. Littlefeld used every effort with his
colleagues on that committee to secure ac-
ton on some one of these measures during
the session. When it became apparent to
him that no action would be taken he told
the republican members of the committee
pointedly that he should himself make use
of their non-action in his speeches on the
stump during the fall campaign.
From this it will be seen that Mr.. Little
field is very much in earnest on the subiect
Of providing adequate legislative regulation
to curtail the harmful tendencies of trusts
and combinations.
His Firm Stand.
The attitude of Mr. L,ittlefield on trusts
is a true index to his general makeup. He
has taken hold Of several other questions
of magnitude since he has been a member
of Congress, and his personality has per-
meated each one to such an extent that his
views had to be reckoned with by his COL
leagues. Notable among these instances
is the Brigham Roberts case. Mr. Little
field was made a member of the special
committee to investigate this case and
when he accepted the position on the COM
mittee he informed the Speaker that he was
going to investigate the case wholly upon
the evidence, and that he wished to give
notice at the start that politics would not
have the slightest weight in his conclusions
His position after the investigation was
that Mr.. Roberts should first be seated and
then expelled. and there is little doubt but
that his argument to this end convinced
many or his republican colleagues in the
House of its correctness However, they
were afraid they might not have the neces-
sary two-thirds vote to expel Mr.. Roberts
If they once seated him, and they adopted
vacant The vote developed that the course
pursued by Mr.. Littlefield could have been
safely followed with the same ultimate re-
suit.
Mr.. Littlefield's antagonism to the nro-
gram of his republican colleagues regarding
Porto Rico was another instance of his in
dependence of action resulting from strong
conviction. He took the ground that Porto
Rico was domestic territory, and was pro-
tected as such from the imposition of a
tariff between the island and the United
States His argument was strong. lucid
and eloquent. and when the vote was taken
he cheerfully stood out against his party
in support of the position he had assumed,
but in vain.
The latest instance of his independence of
action was on the Cuban reciprocity ques-
ton. which was the one great contest of
the last session. Mr.. Littleield opposed
the administration from start to finish
The beet sugar Insurgents rallied around
him and II was largely his fight on the floor
that struck off the differentiai tariff on re-
fined sugar. thus making the bill odious to
its trainers. During the heat of the excite
ment, while the bill was under discussion
and nearing a vote in the House, Presi-
dent Roosevelt remarked to friend at The
White House one day:
"Littlefield. Littiefield. why. he's an off
OK hut apparently an off OK that must be
considered"
Later on the President and his ;rome-
date friends in the administration began
TO consider the off OK in Congress, and they
found him a man quite to their own taste
and liking. And il Is largely on this ac-
count that he has taken this last rapid
stride in the public estimation.
Honest and Independent.
The President likes him because ,e is
square and honest and fearless and indie
pendent. Attorney General Knox likes him
because he is one of the few great and
sound constitutional lawyers in Congress.
Secretary Root likes him because he pos
sesses all the qualities that commend him
to the Root class of public men,
Two incidents in Mr. Littlefield's politi-
cal life will perfectly illustrate his charac-