The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1903-02-20
Washington Letter.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, Feb. IL, 1908

The sensation OF the past week in
Washington has been the attempt Of
the Standard Oh Co., to obstruct the
antitrust program agreed upon BY
the Senate and approved by the Presi.
dent. The Elkins bill, apparently,
did not incite opposition on the part
OF the trusts but the Nelson Amend
ment which was not~dlrectly intro
duced Ia either house of Congress but
was added to the Departmental Com.
MERGE bill by the conferees, and which
provides for Commissioner Of Cor
poratlons and gives him power to
gather and compile trust statistics
became known Just before its adop-
tlon and Immediately caused appre-
henslon Oh the part Of the Standard
Oil Company. Mr.. Rockefeller, his
son and other officers " the company
Immediately telegraphed to those SEN
atorl whom they knew urging them
them not to permit the adoption Of
the Nelson amend nent but to substl-
tute therefor an amendment which
had been prepared by their attorneys
and which was urged upon the con-
ferrees by a prominent member Of the
House.
Learning Of the efforts OF the great
oil trust to defeat his antitrust pol
icy, President Roosevelt sent for GER
tain newspapermen and related to
them the action which had been TAX
en- by Mr.. Rockefeller and his associ-
ates. The prompt publication Of the
facts undoubtedly defeated the efforts
IT the Standard OH magnate, for
both the House and Senate have adop-
ted the department Of Commerce bill
with the Nelson amendment includ.
I'd therein. The real friends Of the
President IN Congress admit that
there will be decided effort on thu
part Of tie great trusts to prevent his
nomination, and, II nominated, his
election, and they approve Of the bold
stand he has taken. They say that
il now remains for the people to dem.
,nstrate II they will earnestly sup
port President who has deiied tn.
great corporate interests Of the c0un.
Try and has stood for the interests OF
The people against the encroachment.
md greed Of capital. That the dem.
,crats appreciate the strength Of Mr.
ROOsevelt's position is demonstrates
~ their efforts to turn to ridicule tn.
Presidents efforts to acQuaint tn,
people with the actual facts. Som,
prominent members Ut the President.
'wn party ere highly indignant at Il e
course he has pursued and say tn: t
such antag0nism as was displayet
should be fought 10 secret.
With the hope OF c0pciliating tn,
Statehood republicans and their dem,
'cratic allies the republican leader.
ave caused to be framed a compro.
Mise Statehood bill which provides
'or the admission OF Oklahoma as on,
state and provides that Indian Terri.
tory shall he added thereto when tn,
Dawes COMMISSION shall have com.
pleted Its iabors, allotlog severalty tn,
ands OF the territory. 1t further pro.
vides for the admission Of New Mexi-
20 and Arizona as one state nd stipu.
lates that for period OF ten years the
capital shall remain at Sante Fe, az
Ter which time Its location Is to b.
determined by popular vote. II Sena.
lor Quay can succeed In whipping hi.
democratic allies into line this meas.
Ire will be introduced as q substitut.
for the committee bill which, It will
ne remembered, was withdrawn 70,
correction soon after the contest be
gan. At the present time however,
there seems to be little prospect OF Sc
curing reasonable action from tb.
democrats. They believe that all OF
the territory which aspires to State
hood will be democratic in polite,
and they are now disposed to hold uul
Tor four stated instead OF two with
the vain hope that the time will COME
when they will contsol Congress and
can thus add eight senators to theII
ranks In the upper chamber.
The gravest Injustice to the Fill.
pinos Is about to be perpetrated b,
the democrats In the Senate. Accord.
Ing to their present program they viii
talk to death the PHILIPPINE currenc,
bill which is so essential to the pros.
lperlty Of the Islands. This measure
is favored by all the republicans H.
both houses and by number Of tn.
democrats but small coterle, head.
ed by Senator Teller, believe they SEE
In It 6nal blow to their goddess,
Silver, and have announced that they
will be compelled to debate the meas
ure which will mean, Ia view Of tn.
congested condition Of affairs In the
Senate, the inevitable postponement
Of the bill to another session. The
condition u affairs 10 the Philippines
as a result Of the present lack Of a
definite standard for silver was graph.
really portrayed by q cablegram to the
Senate recently received from Gov.