The sun., 1903-01-06
ANTITRUST LEGISLATION, OR
AN EXTRA SESSION or THE FIFTY.
EIGHTH CONGRESS-.

SSm 70 haNc Presented 10 SenntOr3
and Representatives Who Have Called
on Him TO Talk Abou; Legislation
to Be Enacted at the Present Session.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 5--Many Senators
and Representatives, including some of the
Republican leaders, called on President
Roosevelt to-day and talked with him
about legislation to be enacted at the present
session, and more than one Of them came
away with the impression that unless some
sort OF trust busting legislation in line with
the well-known views Of the Admnistra-
ton is enacted an extra session Of the
Fifty-eighth Congress will be called to meet
Immediately after the 4th of March.
None of the Presidents callers would
admit that the statement was made TO him
in 40 many words that an extra session
would be the result Of failure to swat
the trusts, but the opinion is becoming wide
spread that 1t is the Presidents intention
to call the new Congress together should
the present one adjourn without action
on what he regards as the most important
question now before Congress and the
public.
The trust question is the one that Ia being
discussed everywhere in Washington at
present, TO the exclusion Of almost all
other topics, and Senator Hoars charac-
teristic bill for annihilating trusts, pre-
sentcd 10 the Senate clerks last week. when
the Senate was not in session, is the particu-
lar thing at which all the discussion is aimed.
Up to the time when the Senate met to-
day it looked as If the Hoar bill would have
no defender, advocate or friend except its
k-r ~ 4.
Department of Justice, took early opportu-
nifty to prove an alibi and disclaim all re.
sponsi5iity for the bill, and as for Sena
tors and Representatives generally. in
cluding those who are good lawyers az well
as those who are not they could not
say things mean enough about the measure.
They denounced II and ridiculed II in turn.
and poon-poohed the idea that there would
be any serious intention of passing it
About the time that the two houses
convened, however. a sponsor was found
for the waif in the person Of the able lawyer.
practical le egislator and shrewd politician.
the Hon. James Kimbrough Jones of Ar
kansas, the reputed leader of the Democrats
in the Senate. Mr. Jones announced that
while he had only read the bill through once,
and had not therefore. given it that pro-
found thought which its importance and
merits justified, he was prepared to say,
on his responsibility a. a Democrat and
senator, that the bill was a good one. Ee
has TO doubt Of il whatever, but viii at the
first leisure moment proceed to read 1t more
thoroughly TO find out more Of Its good
points than he was able to discovtr In the
hasty first reading that he has already
been able 10 give II.
Whether the Administration docs not
take to the Hear bill because 1t is too drastic
or because 1t is not drastic enough u no,
quite clear, bu, light will be- thrown upon
this poirt by the publication shortly of q
communication which Attorney-Gencrai
Knox has addressed to the Judiciary Com
mittee cf the Senate and House, setting
forh b his own ideas, and presumably those
of the President, AZ to the character OF the
Legislation that in their opinion should he
enacted. Mr.. Knox cid MOI take this action
Cf his own voition, but was invited by the
CCngrss committees to give them the
benefit Of his advice and Suggestions an 10
the best method of carrying out the Iresi-
dtrt's rccomp,C ndptiors for busting the
truss The 4: A:;orncy-General was con-
suited by Seraior Hoar when he drew up
The remarkable bill which the Senator viii
elucidate in his speech to-morrcw, but H."
did not prepare any Of is provisiCas, and,
i, il understood, do6s not approve Of some
Of them.
Whether any Legislation will bc enacted
IN the direction of trust busting, under
the spur of tn" Administration influence
and in order To avoid an extra ses1ioa.
remains to be seen. Certainly the II ,ar
bin cannot pass, and the Cullom bill has
t,~pr ss-o'h"-ad - Ic~'h. - tho guthor
of it i'm elf dmi :, b. the v n.r be
C, inn IL H tia Jud ci ~ Go mit
snl tnerc il apps r,nily NJ more unJ-
nj niiy among me hrubhcons Of III.
senate than among the trust BUSTER
OF lh, House. There ere several statesmen
in each h ,uSc who arr jui itching To gel
at the trusts. but tn, trouble II thct each
has a different plan for getting Il; them.
As yet the Senate leaders have no pro-
eram,n" whatever for legislation during
the remaining forty-nin" days OF the seS-
sion, Thsr" are many very i'nportsns
matters that must h di-pos Il of. in addi
the whole situation is it'd into n double
bow knot bv the fact that the Omnibus
Statehood bill hSs the riaht Of way and
cannot b" showed OF the track. Until
some arranycuants are nl@de for dis
posing of this bin no programme Of work
can H. agreed 10. The Republicans are
determined that the bill as Il stands shall
not pass, and they will probably be able 20
carry out their plans, Notwithstanding ths
shrewd tactics 'i;d powerful resources
of Senator Quay. who with The Democrats
j. determined 10 put the bill through.
A. to trust legislation, il /. practically GER
tain ihat IL anyt hing a. all is passed il will
D. a bill J. III" nature Of amendments to the
>heriuar A ti-1itIst at Of such mild
character nat they viii be agreed to prac-
,icaliy by uranirous conc"1t. Owing To
the Conditions existing In both houses it
will b Impossible 10 "css anv J i'll GA gen
ersl character To whit l. thcr i, rious oppo-
sition or that wouid lead Z" prolonged
debate There IL no moro Ike lpod thar
senator Hoar's bib will br passed. Il that
Senator Jones. its Democratic sronsor. wAl