Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-17
BOTH PARTIES
WILL FIGHT .
TRUSTS
CAMPAIGNS OF REPUBLICANS
AND DEMOCRATS WILL HAVE
ANTITRUST" BULLETS FOR
AMMUNITION IN 1904.

WASHINGTON, July 14.-While the
Democrats do not deny that the presi-
dents announcement that he will vigor-
ously press the question Of antitrust leg
islation at the next session Of congress
will have great effect In the coming con-
gressional campaign and do more than
any other one thing to re-elect Repub-
lican house, they question his sincerity
and claim that his pronunciamento was
issued merely for campaign effect. They
are deeply chagrined that after having
conducted an extensive warfare against
the trusts for three sessions of congress
the Democrats should see their thunder
stolen in such a high-handed manner by
Republican president and find themselves
to such a large extent deprived OF the one
issue on which they could hope to carry
the house. Ti.. s-a-
while thoroughly agree with the at
titude Of President Roosevelt on the sub
jet of the trusts" said Representative
Newlands of Nevada a Democratic mem
Der of the ways and means committee, as
he was starting for home today. II must
say his manifesto came a trifie late and a
person inclined to be skeptical would have
cause for wonder. that If he were INTEREST,"
ed in pursuing the trusts to their lairs
and binding them hand and foot to his
chariot wheel he did not discover the
great evil threatening the country sooner
than he did. II will be remembered that
the Republicans had an opportunity to
pass antitrust legislation in the last con-
gress and that the present congress has
just finished a seven months session dur
ing which a number of antitrust bills
were introduced and that although in con-
troll. of both branches of congress and the
executive, the Republican party has done
absolutely nothing to hamper the opera
lions of the trusts or protect the people.
Another remarkable fact is that the pres
ident did not become imbued with this
antitrust hunting idea until the Demo-
Gratis had adopted IL as their leading issue
subject he has suddenly discovered that 1t
is burning question and at the outset Of
a congressional campaign he proposes that
something shall be done.
Newland's BuI Ignored.
IT introduced a bill in the last congress
having for its purpose full publicity of the
resources, receipts, dividends. expendi-
lures, etc, Of the trusts. and Representa-
tive Richardson, Of Tennessee, Littlefeld.
of Maine. and others also presented anti
trust bills which received substantially
no reconsideration at the hands of congress.
Considering the fact that the next session
of congress will be a short session and
that a humber of important matters, in
addition to the regular appropriation bills,
will demand consideration, 1 doubt very
much II any antitrust bill will be present.
ed or seriously considered. Trusts can be
regulated only by means of our interstate
commerce laws and by taxation and i
think that through taxation they can be
restrained better than In any other way.
I remember that when the war. revenue
repeal DILL in the ffty-sixth congress was
under consideration 1 proposed that the
tax on petroleum and sugar refneries
should be continued, but the Republicans
opposed 1t.
BY continuing these taxes we could have
exercised a check on the two greatest
trusts. the Sugar and Standard OIL trusts,
In the country. My proposition to tax the
trusts would compel these great industrial
concerns TO make statements to the reve-
nuo commissioner, under oath. showing
their receipts, operating expenses, wages
paid and taxes paid, which information,
when laid before the public, would at least
give the public an opportunity to act intel
ligently in regard to investments in stocks.
Banking corporations are required to max
Banking corporations are required to
make such statements now, as are the
railroad companies, the latter having ten
ded to make railroading a matter of sci
ence instead Of predatory warfare on the
people. / believe a special excise tax equiv
alent to one-tenth of one per cent on the
gross amount of all corporations whose
gross annual receipts exceed $4,000 should
DO levied, and that the returns made to
tho commissioner Of internal revenue
should include all data relating to capital,
operating expenses, wages and taxes"
Full Investigation Wanted.
Mr.. Newlands Indicated that he was OPP
posed TO the partisan consideration of
this matter, and thought that the subject
should come before full committee rath-
er than that the bill should be prepared
by the Republicans and presented as a
party question. He stated that he had al
ways been opposed to such action on the
part of the ways and means committee,
which was the only one of the great COM
mittees of the house that had adopted II,
and he hoped that should the judiciary
committee take the subject up seriously,
the Democrats would be afforded oppurtu-
nifty to discuss the bill In committee as
well as in the house.
In connection with the reports which
have been circulated that Mr.. Littlefield
was to draw no an antitrust bill it will
be remembered that President Roosevelt
recently turned down Senator PIatt's rec
ommendation that Representative Ray,
chairman OF the house committee on ju-
dietary, should be appointed a United
States district judge in New York, to sue
coed Judge Cox, who was elevated to the