Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-07-12

washington, July 1O.-An antitrust
bill will 60 through congress ut its next
session by practically unanimous
Republican party vote, II by no other
This Is the administration program
The Democrats will be invited to come
In aud help on patriotic grounds, but the
measure will be presented and con-
trolled on the Republican side OF both
houses and enough votes are believed
to be assured to puss 1t.
The basis Of the new bill will be
Representative Littletields antitrust
bill H. R.3 Of providing sundry
amendments to the Sherman act. As in.
troduced on Dec. 2 it was about six
pages long, and rather crudely put to-
gether, Mr.. Littlefeld's sole purpose
being to throw something into the arena
for the congressional critics to pick to
pieces and reconstruct in parts.
1t has been the presidents desire to
have q law which should effectively
check the aggressions of trade com BIZ
nations when they began to interfere
with popular rights. The attorney
general realized, however. the great
difficulty and danger Of hasty lGgisla-
tion In restraint Of private enterprise
and they both decided to see how far
existing law would 60 before entering
upon the preparation Of a new law.
Hence the prosecutions of the Northern
Securities company and the beef trust,
involving different but typical phases
Of the subject, were intended quite as
much to discover where the Sherman
lsw fell short Of its authors designs rs
to put Its strength to the test.
These two suits, which are all that It
h the present plan Of the administration
to undertake till a new law has been
created, have given the attorney gen.
eral a great many suggestions. He has
embodied them In certain additions to
the text Of the Littletield bill, or in
marginal indications of changes which
would be advisable, so that the niea sure
Is now much longer and more elaborate.
House bill No. 8, with this remodeling,
Is the whole Of the much-adyertlsed
new legislation which Mr.. Littlefield
has been called in 10 prepare.
The Littlefield bill was sufficiently
remodelled before the end of the ses.
sion to have been called up then, and
some OF the presidents advisors were
anxious to have this done for its 10
litical effect. The idea did not find
favor. however. Such legislati in
order to be effective for the correction
OF abuses without the danger Of becom.
Ing an abuse itself. has to be carefully
considered and threshed over. and II
was therefore decided not to bring I'M
the bill while congress was in the midst
OF wrangle over other matters, but to
wait till IL could have full discussion
and calm action.
Meanwhile, there is excellent rpason
for saying that before congress meets
again, indeed during the latter part Of
the congressional campaign. the at.
torney general will perform for the nd
ministration the same office regarding
the trust question that Secretary Root
Old In 1OOO regarding the army. He
Will deliver carefully prepared speech
In which he will prepare the ground for
the administrations coming step by
discussing the whole trust problem
clearly. and explaining the situation
and the administrations theory Of meet
Ing 1t, as cabinet officers In other gov
ernments make their facc-to-face ac.
counting to the voting citizens. II may
be that this speech will be delivered in
only one place. or it may be repeated
In substance in two or three places;
that detail has not yet been deter.
mined, but the president believed that
a frank. temperate and husinesslike
explanation Of this sort would be bet
ter card for the Republican campaign
than week Of excited debate in the
closing hours Of congressional ses-
sion.