The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-30
CONGRESS THIS WEEK
WILL BE CONFRONTED WITH I'M
PORTRAIT MEASURES.
THE TRUSTS AND THE TARIFF.
TAKE THE LEAD IN THE PRELIMI-
NARY DISCUSSIONS.

President Has Declared He Wants
Antitrust and Ta-in Revision
Observation-Disclosures Is Whether
the Congress VIII Have n DO
Nothing" or "Do-sOmethins"
Session - Republicans Competing
for Privilege of Fathering Anti
Trust Measure.
Washington, Nov. 29.-President
Roosevelt will have Congress on his
hands next week, and political experts
are busy specializing upon whether it
will be do-nothing or a do-something
session. The President is anxious to
do something in the direction of an
THRUST legislation, and also to do
something in the way of tariff revis-
ion. He has so declared himself in all
of his public utterances recently, and
he has endeavored to impress his ideas
in that direction, upon the Republican
leaders who have visited the White
House during the present week.
Indications point to a general scram-
BILE in the Republican ranks for the
privilege of presenting an antitrust
proposition, which win command the
support of the administration forces in
the two houses of Congress. Repub-
lican congressman returning to Wash
ington, who have their pockets and
gripsacks bulging with antitrust
projects, which they claim will prevent
unreasonable and unjust trade COM
binations, are too numerous to men
ton. They viii be in evidence as soon
as Congress convenes. and the race Will
be to get first place in the Record as
the champion of the antitrust crusade.
Many of the propositions submitted
may never receive notice outside of the
Congressional Record, and the
home papers of the members
presenting them, but there will
be no lack of claimants for the credit
of whatever may be done in the way
of antitrust legislation during the
| coming session.
May Take Cue From Knox.
There is good reason to believe that
the Republican leaders will realize the
Importance of doing something along
the lines suggested by Attorney Cen
eral Knox in his Pittsburg speech,
which the President has repeatedly in
dorsed. publicly and privately.
Tariff revision may be a topic of fire.
quent discussion and comment during
the coming session, but there is but
slight probability of any definite action
in that direction. Congress does not
take kindly to the Presidents idea of
appointing a tariff commission. That
plan has been repeatedly tried without
successful or satisfactory results If
it were safe to indulge in a prediction,
one might venture the opinion that
sometime before the short session
closes a proposition will be brought
forward authorizing a joint committee
of the House Committee on Ways and
Means and the Finance Committee of
the Senate to consider the tariff ques-
ton after the adjournment, March 1.
This impression is derived from opin-
ions expressed by the leaders In the
House and Senate, who usually shape
the financial and economic policies of
the Republican party.
Democrats May share Glory.
The Democrats, while in the minor
ity, stand ready to share the credit
with their opponents for any antitrust
legislation which may be enacted. They
claim to be the pioneers along the anti
trust trail, and they propose to make
a desperate fight to divide whatever
honors may result from the present
agitation of the subject. 1t may re-
quire some clever jockeying on the
part of the Republican leaders to side
track the Democrats. but the attempt
will be made to rake off all the glory
there may be in the antitrust business
and convert it into q party asset for
use in the coming presidential cam
paign.
On the trust question the Democrats
are in the position to divide honors
with the Republicans, as they did in
the preparations for carrying on the
Spanish war. Party lines We're entire
ly obliterated on that OCCASION owing
TO the unanimity of sentiment in favor
of desired end. Both parties claim
to be anxious to do something" to
relieve the consumer from the bond
age in which they are held by the cor
porate interests. hence there should be
glory enough to go around"
The trust question promises to be the
paramount issue in the approaching
session, with the canal controversy, and
the general appropriation bills on the
side