Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-12
The Legislative Situation in
Congress.
VIEWS OF LEADERS
BILL BLOCKING ONLY
UNDESIRABLE MEASURES
All Antitrust Legislation Wanted by
the Senate Passed-Attituds
Of the Democrats.

The legislative situation in Congress
satisfactory to the managers in the two
houses. and nothing is in sight which
threatens the prolongation of the session Of
the Senate or the calling of the next Com
gress for an extraordinary session.
In the Senate the statehood bill continues
TO serve the useful purpose for which it was
intended by some senator's of acting as :,
par 10 the consideration of undesirable leg
isiatlon. The indications are that the bill
VIII serve no other purpose than this unless
4" .iie eno IL can be used to put the demo-
eia.s IN the position of opposing statehood
concentrated In a compromise measure.
Che or the bills which is being crowded out
oy the statehood bill Is the so-called eight
hour Dill. which is exceedingly objectionahI.
TO some OF the great industrial interests of
t the Country; 1T Is observed that whenever
the proposition is preached to take up Soma
VI the objectionable measures or Whenever
tnere Is indication of debate on subjects NOT
accePtaDie to influential senators, the debate
diately. wa MOI iiiiiie
Desired Legislation Not Blocked.
Inc pili' however is not blocking the pas
sage VI ieelSlatlon which is deemed neces-
sary by the managers All the trust iacis-
lation that the Senate desires has haap
passed without any trouble and If 10
Thought that the treaties can be handled n,
the same way. The Alaska treaty uap,
, .nrougn Yesterday afternoon without the
tsast Irictlon, and an agreement was made
Ior taking up the Panama treaty TO-DAY
When debate is exhausted on the Panama
treaty[and the length of the discussion is
70 70 S ss prottplematical-it will be proposed
" nake up the Cuban reciprocity treaty
Then 1T will be developed whether there IL
sudden awakening Of interest in the state
nooa OH and the desire on the part of some
senators to discuss that measure rather
IMAM to go into executive session on Cuban
reciprocity. The friends of the recinrocitw
treaty are hopeful Of favorable action, but
are oy no means confident. With the pan
anna and the Alaskan treaties ont Of the
way, and with the appropriation bills and
the statehood bill pressing for attention. it
Is realized that there may be some dif1oaltv
IN holding the reciprocity treaty before The
Senate. VIC
Interest In Trusts Waning.
The trust question is rapidly losing inter
est In Congress. The passage of the De-
partment OF Commerce bill with the proyi-
sion for the bureau of corporations, and OF
the Dill to expedite trials. together with the
provision or the appropriation bill for addi-
tlonal FUNDS for the prosecution Of cases,
leaves only the Elkins bill still on the
hooks. "
1t was stated by the House managers to-
day that the Elkins bill would be taken IN
In the House and its consideration provided
for by special rule from the committee
on rules. The democrats are very anxtous
to amend the Elkins bill by attaching some
features OF the. Littlefield bill SO as to bring
the latter bill before the Senate and into
conference committee. Only a few re-
publicans. however. share the anxiety upon
this score and 1t is considered doubtful
whether opportunity will be afforded TO
amend the Elkins bill in the manner sug-
gested 1t Is said to be not impossible that
the Llttieheld bill may be reported to the
senate from the committee on judiciary but
1t Is not expected that 1t will go any further
than to take its place on the Senate cal
endar.
Democratic Attitude on Trust Bills.
1t is a subject of comment that the trust
question has not been debated In the Senate.
The democrats have permitted the trust
bills to go through and have given the re-
publicans full swing in their enactment OF
antitrust legislation, Withholding I'D to this
time the slightest word of criticism In the
House there have been some democratic
protests against the laxity of the antitrust
legislation Of the majority but nothing like
a persistent campaign has been made.
1t is said to be the purpose of some OF the
democratic leaders to withhold their ami
madversion upon the antitrust program of
Congress for the future when in the next
campaign they will charge the republicans
with having enacted inadequate legislation
upon the subject. Many of the democratic
leaders think that the provisions Of the
antitrust legislation of this session will not
be effective to reach the evils of which the
country complain. and they believe they can
make more capital by letting the repub-
HcanS have their head now and calling at
tentfon later to the faulty legislation