The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-07-11
WAKING UP TO TRUSTS.
Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.


Washington, July 6It generally conceded that Pres
dent Roosevelt and his party in plight the ques
ton of trusts and the republican organizations record on that
subject which be leading democratic issues during the
coming congressional campaign.
In his Pttsbug speech Mr. Roosevelt strongly advocated
governmental regulation and control OF industrial conbna
tons and dispatch from Oyster Bay published in the Sun
today stated that these remarks merely the forerunne
OF determined efforts by him have take up that
subject and enact definite legislation its next session
All this is amusing the democratic leaders That Mr.
Roosevelt four days after the close of the congressional SEES
sion should take steps the pressing necessity for
legislation is of much democratic comment Of
humorous The elections will have passed before con-
will again have the opportunity combat this evil
The fact is the republicans during the session just closed
had full and ample opportunity to enact antitrust legislation
and they urged in to by the president but
they fatty declined to do
Mr.. Roosevelt made his recommendations the trust
question in his first message. He advised publicity His
advice ignored by the republican leaders, and although
bills prepared and offered embracing the recommends
tons made they allowed die in the committees on
judiciary of the two houses.
In the face of this failure Mr. Roosevelt seeks to
his party from its record of nonacon by asserting that
something be DONE and nmating that that something
will be done Democrats generally regard the president Ut
terances simply in the of protective expedent
against the facts which decidedly in favor of the
minority party and which to be used against
the republicans in the campaign to
The presidents recommendations to congress embracing
his idea of the best remedy for the evil emanang from in
dustrial combinations as follows:
The essential determining how deal with the
industrial combinations is knowledge of the facts
publicity In the interest OF the public the government should
have the right inspect and examine the workings Of the
corporations engaged in interstate business Publicity
is the only remedy which invoke What
further remedies needed in the of governmental
uatiou taxation only be determined after publicity
has been obtained by of law and in the OF adj
mnistraon The first requisite is knowledge, full and
pete-knowedge which be made public to the world
1t this advice which pgeon-holed by the repub
liean leaders When the presidents sent
Representative George w Ray OF New York chair
man of the house committee on judiciary from which all trust
legislation in the lower branch OF be reported
said that the publicity idea nonsense He asserted
that congress would disgrace itself by placing such law
upon the statute booksneaning law based upon the pub
icty ideafor the that the United States supreme
court had given decisions which would make such
less. The opinion among the leaders that either
amendment to the constitution, giving the government
troll and regulation should be enacted that the States
should be appealed to in uniform laws
affecting trusts They that those were the only ways
in which the desired end could be accomplished. AS result
nothing done
The democrats, however offered very simple but eff
ective solution Of the problem when Representative James
Richardson Of Tennessee the democratic floor leader in
oduced bill providing that the tariff upon trust-made
articles should be abolished There could be msakng
the effect of that bill but it involved the protective tariff
system and the republicans smohered it.
Right in line with the presidents recommendations Rep
esentatve Charles F. Lttlehed of Maine introduced bill
providing that publicity should be given affairs of all
trusts 1t referred to the committee on judiciary and
there now lies incidentally Mr. Lttleheld introduced
second bill designed prevent over-capitaizaton This
measure also is pigeon holed
Dispatches from Oyster Bay that Mr. Litefed has
been chosen the administrations spokesman house
the subject OF trust legislation and view of this fact it
is generally believed that the president cngs to his pub
icy scheme he republicans of the house however, do
not propose enacng any bill framed along such lines
II is probable that the republicans during campaign
will make the best OF the presidents the merger and
beef trust cases although the fact remains that while in abso
lutte control of the legislative and executive branches of the
government the republicans with six full OF time be-
fore them in which act declined legislation af
fecting' evil.
The democrats do not overlooking the republican
shortcomings i'll this during the campaign The mi
noy party offered its remedy the efficacy OF which no one
in congress doubts and ignored The republican record
stands clear and prominent
Some republicans anxious know what will be the
nature of the speeches President Roosevelt will make in the
oee sugar states during his fall tour Fearing that by
erring to the subject the president might inhre the marty
in the coming elections republicans from those States have
asked him to minimize the Importance of the question OF ec
procity