The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-11
.ROOSEVELT'S MOVE
PLAY TO PEOPLE
Little Hope Of His Having Real
Antitrust Measure Adopted.
LITTLEFlELD VS.. HENDERSON
President May Back Former in Con-
test for Speakership-Democrats
Will Use Hoar's Philippine
Speech Extensively.
Speech Exte nsively

| SpeeCh Exte nSiveiY.
WASHINGTON, D. c., July IA great
deal of interest has been manifested in
Washington on the subject OF the APP
| parenty authoritative announcement
| from Oyster Bay that the President has
| decided to put Representative Charles T..
Lttlefield, of Maine, to work on the
| trust question, with a view to the franz
ing OF national legislation that viii do
away with the evils of the big combi-
nations. There arc several phases OF
this development in the policy OF the
administration that command the atten-
ton Of those observant of political affairs
and its probable effects are receiving
good deal of discussion by those-by no
means the majority-who are disposed
to consider it seriously.
Looking first at the effect it will have
upon the Republicans in the House.
Roosevelt's reaching out after Little
field in this manner may be considered
to have considerable significance in dis
playing the presidential attitude toward
the avowed leaders of the dominant party
in the lower branch of Congress. Lit.
tlefeld, who succeeded Dingley as rep
resentative from the Second Maine Dis
trict, has shown considerable ability
since he took his seat at the beginning
of the F'ifty-sXth Congress, but he has
always been at odds with Speaker Hen
derson and the Committee on Rules. He
was one of the leaders in the fight
against the reduction Of the tariff on
Cuban sugar during the past session o:
Congress and also took sides against the
House leaders when they failed to per-
form their plain duty" toward Porto
Rico He was Encouragement OF
70; J,afo he IN and
is recognized a very able lawyer.
Should his advancement in the House
continue unchecked he will be a form-
dable opponent of Henderson for the
Speakership, if the next House is Repub-
lican. and Roosevelt's drawing him into
the administration camp in this manner
might mean that in event of split in
the ranks of the House Republicans on
the Speakership question the influence of
the administration would be behind Lit
tlef.eld as against Henderson.
NOTHING IN 1T
The general opinion of those who are
familiar with Roosevelt's course is. how
ever. that nothing whatever will come
of his antitrust movement Attention
is called to the fact that he will push
the matter vigorously" during the recess
of Congress and that by December at tho
latest and possibly by the opening of the
congressional campaign he. Attorney
General Knox, and Representative Little
field will have prepared a bill that will
render the trusts absolutely harmless,
which bill the administration will make
Congress pass as soon as it conveneS-
What Roosevelt will make Congress do
has been talked Of many a time before.
What Congress has made Roosevelt do
is we'll known to everyone In his first
PnnCa,o1f al
length on the subject of trusts and urg-
ed that some legislation be enacted which
would do away with their harmful fea-
lures. There the matter rested as far
as Congress was concerned. and nothing
has been heard from it since. Later the
Acknowledgement was directed to bring
certain suits affecting the matter. which
he did. but beyond the commencement OF
litigation that will last for years nothing
seems to have been accomplished by this
move. Added to all this. the Presidents
attitude in regard to the Cuban reciproc-
ty bill must not be overlooked. He had
a chance to get his bill passed with a
clause which struck a blow at the Sugar
Trust by aboishing the differential on
refined sugar. but he did not do so. How
sincere he, himself, is in his anmosty to
the trusts may in a measure, be judged
by this.
NO BALM IN GILEAD.
But even if Roosevelt is sincere in the
matter the attitude of the Republican
party leaders must be taken into ac-
count and it is certain that they will not
allow any legislation to pass that will
deprive them of the sinews of war in the
shape of the large campaign contribu-
lions they are in the habit of getting
from the trusts. Roosevelt may think
it a fine play to the people. whose an
tagonism to the trusts is undoubtedly
growing stronger. but the powers that
be in his party will take particular pains
to kill any bill that he may cause to be
drafted which will really affect the trust
question They might allow some fake
measure to go through. one that appear
ed to destroy the evils of the big com
bines. but in reality did not, for the
sake of the political effect it would have
on the people. but If the President wants
a. bona fide, genuine antitrust measure
enacted he must look to a Democratic
House to perform the feat for him.
Already the Democratic Campaign Com
mittee is at work on the printing of
campaign documents, although very few
have been sent out as vet Half a mil
lion copies of Senator Hoars anti Philip
pine speech have been printed ONLY
few have been sent out, however, in an
swer to requests. Little or nothing vii,
be done at the headquarters here until
after the meeting in New York