Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-03-12
The Fifty-Scventh Congress.

Now that the Fifty-seventh Congress
has ended. it is possible 20 speak of its
work as a whole and compare it's merits
with its weaknesses and defects. 1t is
safe to say that the session just ended
will be known in the future chiefly on
account of the important trust legisla-
ton enacted Other matters like the state
hood measure and financial bills that
failed to pass, largely monopolized the
time and attention of our national law
makers during the short session of the
Congress just ended, but that which will
stand out most conspicuously AS the
body reccdes into the past is the work
accomplished for the protection Of the
rights of the people as compared with
the combinations of capital effected for
the purpose of creating monopolies and
forcing the public to come to their terms.
If the Fifty-seventh Congress has ac-
complished nothing else during its long
and short sessions, its members who la
bored to this end would be entitled to
the gratitude of the people.
1t will be recalled that the Republican
party passed the so-called Sherman act
| for the remedy of the trust evil, but
complaint was made that the law depart
ment of the government was not provided
with sufficient funds to enable 1t to pros
ecute the big Industrial and commercial
combinations. The late Congress not only
| appropriated 100000 for the use of the de-
partment of justice in the prosecution of
| q r(e
act ard other statutes, both old and new
in relation TO corporations, but it also
passed bills to facilitate the cases of the
| government against trusts, both pending
and to arise. and to prohibit rebates and
unjust determinations by either shipper
or carrier.
One of the most important measures di
rected against Illegal combinations for The
purpose of creating monopolies was in
sttuted in connection with the forma
ton OF the now department of commerc,
and labor, one of the conspicuous feature:
of which is the bureau with its regula
tons regarding corporations and the re
quirements of pubicity-haied by many
authorities as the most powerful weapon
against trusts that could be devised.
While the antitrust legislation passe
by this Congress is one of it's most note
worthy accomplishments. it is by M
means to be assumed that it did littl
beside this. On the contrary. the sessio
Just closed witnessed other importan
acts placed upon the national statutes
One of the minority leaders makes tn
charge that the session saw no measur
passed for the removal of taxation 0
r the people. but he must have overlooke
or purposely ignored tho fact that III
late Congress reduced the war taxes b
no less than $780, 600, 600 annually. TIL
important measure of relief was accom-
= plished by repeating the last of the wa
taxes levied to meet the extraordinar
expenditures necessitated by the Spanish
American conflict. The relief afforded l.
this measure can be measured by II
clamor raised by the people for the II
peal of the war taxes following the te
y mination of hostilities; but we move s
2 fast as a people that we forget matter
] of this sort until we are reminded Their
, of in some connection like the present,
A far-reaching measure to be credite
E to the Fifty Seventh Congress is II
Spooner act passed at the first sesslo
1 providing for the construction of an istl
milan canal between the Atlantic and Il
Pacific occans-an act that is destine