The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-07
ANTITRUST BILL DEBATE.
Closing Speeches by Messrs. DE Ar
mOnd and LittIefeId

WASHINGTON, Feb 6-GeneraI debate
on the antitrust bill closed i'm the House
shortly before 6 o'clock this evening The
debate had proceeded since 10 O'Clock this
morning. More interest was aroused as
1t proceeded. and the closing speeches by
Mr. De Almond, of Missouri, and Mr..
Littlefield of Maine. were delivered to
crowded galleries and to full attendance
OF the floor. Tomorrow for three hours
the bill will be considered under the five
minute rule, after which the final vote will
be taken.
Mr.. De Almond said he realized how diff
ficult it was to deal adequately with the
trust question. Human greed with the best
human intellect at its command was not
too easily baffied, and therefore a solution
of the problem required sincere and honest
endeaVor He was one of those, he said,
VINO believed that a revision of the tariff
could accomplish much. He did not be-
lieve that the tariff sheltered all trusts.
sun, IL il would break the bones of any
OF the giant trusts, why. he asked, should
the remedy not be applied? Some on the
other side, he said, openly admitted that
the tariff should be revised In certain par-
ticulars. Why should not the bars be let
down when the tariff had been made a
shelterfng place and a breeding ground
for trusts? His side proposed an amend
ment TO clothe the President with power
whenever necessary to protect the public.
Why, he asked would not the other side
JON In the enactment of that amendment?
do you prefer, he asked, addressing the
republican side, Ito trust the trusts rather
than your own PRESIDENT
MT. DE Almond said the bill reported
from the Judiciary committee was quite
different measure from that originally
introduced by Mr.. Littlefield. when the
gentleman from Maine started out" said
he, he had blood i'm his eye and a toma-
hlxr IN hfe
colleagues caught up with the trusts they
were smoking the pipe of peace The sky
was clear and the pickings were to continue
g03 goo Tor the trusts .1,T Democrats laughter
Republican majority in Congress-" he said,
will go far enough to satisfy the people
that 1t seeks to do something for the peo-
pies good but not far enough to hurt the
peoples enemy" democratic applausel
Mr.. Littlefield said no one seriously be-
lieved, with the existing constitutional
limitations. that a bill could be prepared
that would fully and adequately meet
the situation. But he believed the COM
mittee had presented flair, reasonable
and constitutional measure" and as such
he hoped it would address itself TO the
members of the House. Mr. Iittlefield
created considerable amusement by read
ing g most extravaganza denunciation of
combinations and then announcing that the
extract was not from the speech OF any
gentleman on the other side, but from a
speech of Sir John Culpepper delivered In
.'They had 'em then" said he, lust as we
have EN- now. ILaughter.l 1 call your at
tention to the fact that there was no pro-
tective tariff in those days" He traced
the history of combinations back to 300
b. c. to show, he said, that combinations
always had existed and that there had been
an cutlery against them. 1t showed fur
Their, he said, how old and how dihicult
the problem before Congress was.
:. Speaking of the bill. Mr.. Littlefield said
1T was not commended that the publicity
feature was specific for monopoly, but
only that IL was step in the right direc-
ton, helpful to the public in the three
connections where corporations touched the
people, namely, las investors, creditors and
consumers" In reply to a question, Mr..
Littlefield said he did not believe Congress
should penalize overcapitalization, To do
so he said, would produce a panic. But
publicity, he insisted, would acquaint the
people with the facts and the evils of over
capitalization gradually would be corrected.
Toward the close of his speech Mr.. Little
field was frequently interrupted with ques-
tions. When. he concluded the general de-
bate was formally declared closed, and at
5:45 p. m. the House adjourned.