The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-01-17
NO ANTI TRUST law.
Small Prospect that Senate will
Act this Session.
HAS TOO MUCH ELSE ON HAND TO DO,
Appropriation Bills Will be Coming in
a Few Days.
From the Kansas cIty journal.

From the Kansas City Journal.
The more carefully the situation is
canyassed the more firm becomes the
conviction that there is likely to be
no antitrust legislation before the
adjournment next March. Among
the members OF the house there is a
disposition to harmonize differences,
subordinate personal and individual
opinions, and get together upon an
antitrust bill which can be rushed
through the house with all possible
and practicable haste,
There are many among the house
republicans, aud some Of them are
counted as the house leaders, who do
not personally approve Of any anti
trust legislation at this session, and
who do not indorse either the pub
licty plan of Mr.. Littlefield or the
bills drawn by the attorney general,
but their views will not be allowed
to interpose as obstacles TO the pas
sage Of whatever measure the Judi
cary committee may agree upon.
Perhaps they feel assured that the
bill will die in the senate, as there
are at present strong reasons for
believing it will.
There are so many matters pending
in the senate as to almost produce
legislative confusion in that most
sedate and dignifed Of parliamentary
bodies. The first obstacle 10 the way
of any legislation is the omnibus
statehood bill. That has the right Of
consideration every day after two
o'clock Until finally disposed of, and
as Senator Quay controls the situa-
tion, be is not likely to allow the
mea 1re to be sidetracked without a
vote. Nearly half the members Of
the senate expect to talk upon the
bill, and II each member is heard the
end Of the session will be reached
before tion is taken upon the mat.
ter OF statehood.
Senator Nelson spoke for five days
and Others are threatening to equa
his record. The matter is becoming
tedious, and members disappear from
the chamber as soon as the bill il
taken up as unfinished business.
Senator Beveridge will make an
exhaustive argument, and fifteer
other senators have slgnlfied their in
tention Of speaking against thC
measure. 1t is not unlikely tht
friends of the bill will content them
selves by saying little 10 order that
vote may be had.
Then there is the matter Of th'
ratification OF the Cuban treaty which
must be done before January 81, ant
there remains but seventeen NOR
legislative days before that time. 1t
consideration will require time,
Before February lst the genera
appropriation bills will come owe
from the house and it is absolutel
essential that these be passed in orde
to avoid an extra session. Then ther
is the militia bill and the genera
staff bill, the former passed by tn
house at the last session and the latte
only last week, and the friends Q
each are demanding that these meas
ures be acted upon. The militia bill
now occupies attention during th
morning hour and is laid aside at
O'Clock for the statehood bill.
There are other minor matter
which will require the time SO pre-
cious as the life Of the Fifty-eight
congress draws to close, and eac
days delay makes IT more impossibl
to pass an ANTITRUST bill, and MOI
and more probable that the presider
will convene an extra session Of cor
gress after March 4th, in case thel
is no legislation upon this subieC
enacted by the present congress.