The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-07
AID TO OLD TRUSTS
THATIs FLEMING'S VIEW OF THE
ANTITRUST BILL.
ONLY TRUSTS TO BE FORMED
ARE AIMED AT IN THE REsTRIC-
TIONS OF THE BILL.

General Debate on the Measure
and LfttIef1eId Were the Principal
Speakers-The Former Upheld the
Tariff rs Offering the Proper
Remedy and Pointed Out the Pro-
spectIve InefYectiveness of the
Republican Measure.
Washington. Feb. General de-
hate on the antitrust bill closed in
the House shortly before o'clock this
sfternoon. The debate had proceeded
since 10 o'clock this morning. More
interest was aroused as it proceeded,
and the closing speeches by Mr.. De-
Almond, Democrat of Missouri, and
llr Littlefeld, Republican of Maine,
we're delivered to crowded galleries
and to a very full attendance on the
floor. The closing, however was de-
void Of brilliant pyrotechnics or sem
sational clashes.
The other speakers to-day were
Messrs. Lawrence, Republican of
Massachusetts: Parker, Republican of
New Jersey: Tirrell. Republican of
Massachusetts,; Jenkins, Republican of
Wisconsin, Douglass, Republican of
New York; Henry, Democrat of Texas;
Fleming, Democrat of Georgia, Kitch-
i'm. Democrat of North Carolina; Nc
CleIlan, Democrat of New York; Will
liams, Democrat of Mississippi, and
KIeberg, Democrat of Texas. To-mor-
row for three hours the bill will be
considered under the five-minute rule,
after which the final vote will be
taken.
Mr. Jenkins of Wisconsin, chairman
of the Judiciary Committee, said that
the power of Congress was as limited
upon this question as that of any
common council. He quoted many au-
Ihorities in support of his contention
that Congress had no control over
commerce, that its power was strict
ly limited to regulation. In reply to
a question. he agreed that the taxing
power of the government might be IN
voked to suppress undesirable corpora
tiOns.
Fleming Showed Its Weakness.
Mr.. Fleming of Georgia said he
would vote for the bill amended or
unamended, but criticised the weak
ness of the various sections. He point
ed out particularly that the bill only
compelled corporations hereafter or
ganized' to file returns. This, he said,
would be in the interest of old corpo-
rations by placing them in possession
Of complete information concerning
future corporations organized to fight
those in existence.
He suggested an amendment to Sec
ton ), so as to make it applicable to
water transportation. He said that
Mr. Nevin of Ohio and himself, both
members of the Judiciary Committee,
had concurred in a minority report
faVoring the striking out of Section Z,
which prohibited a carrier from trans
porting trust made goods. He was OPP
posed to it because it placed the re-
sponsibility of determining what were
trust-made goods upon the carrier
DeArmond and the Tariff.
Mr. DeArmond closed the general
debate for his side. He said he real
lied how difficult it was to deal ade-
quately with the trust question. HUI
man greed with the best human intel
lect at it's command was not to be cas-
lily bafied, and therefore a solution of
the problem required sincere and hon
est endeavor. He was one of those,
he said, who believed that a revision
of the tariff could accomplish much.
He did not believe that the tariff could
accomplish much. He did not believe
that the tariff sheltered all trusts.
Still, if it 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, opens
ly admitted that the tariff should be
revised in certain particulars. Why
should not the bars be let down when
the tariff had been made a sheltering
place and breeding ground for
trusts? His side proposed an amend
ment to clothe the President with the
power to suspend duties on trust
made articles whenever necessary to
protect the public. Why, he asked,
would not the other side join in the
enactment of that amendment?
DO you prefer he asked, address,
ing the Republican side, Ito trust the
trusts rather than your own Presi-
dent?"
Democrats Seek to Preserve.
1--WE are not seeking to destroy" Mr..
DeArmond said, but to preserve; to
act as a bulwark to prevent the con-
centration and constantly multiplying
monopoly which will finally crush out
the American individual and make
husk and shadow of what was once his
proud American citizenship"
Mr.. DeArmond said the bill reported
from the judiciary Committee was
quite a different measure from that
originally introduced by Mr.. Littlefield.
When the gentleman from Maine
started out" he said, ''he had blood in
his eye and a tomahawk in his hand.
But by the time he and his colleagues
caught up with the trusts they were
smoking the pipe of peace. The sky
was clear and the pickings were to
continue good for the trusts" Demo
cratic laughter and applause)
If it was desired to do something eff
fective, Mr. DeArmond said, the mi
norty amendment should be adopted.
Corporations should be made amenable
TO local courts, as individuals are. The
tax power of the government should