Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-10
Situation. Of Anti Trust Leg
islation Not Pleasant.
THE LITTLEFIELD BILL
FOUND THAT IT CANNOT PASS
THE SENATE.
Possibility Of Passage Of the Nelson
Amendment and the Elkins
Anti-Rebate Bill.

Pretty nearly everybody in Congress Is
mad over one phase or another Of the Rock
efeller scandal and the situation of the
antitrust legislation. The senators who re-
ceiyed the Standard Oil telegram are angry
because the trust communicated with them,
and are put out with the President because
publicity was given to the case Senators
who did not receive the telegram are angry
because they feel that each man Is sus-
pected of being possible recipient, and
they wish that the senators who did re-
ceive them would own up to it and relieve
them.
On the House side Mr.. Littlefield Is mad
because his trust-busting bill is not likely
to receive attention and because he cannot
get the President to lend the weight Of his
influence to it in Congress. Mr.. Little
field went back to the Capitol today from
his visit to the White House in high
dudgeon over the prospects of his bill in
the Senate. He had learned at the White
House that the information from the Sen
ate was very discouraging respecting his
measure. and 1t is said the President did not
see his way clear to backing UP the Little
field bill.
Some of the House republicans are mad
because the name of one of the most in
f1uential Of their number has been so freely
banded about in connection with the spon-
sorship of the Standard Oil substitute for
the Nelson amendment which was offered
In conference committee. The democrats
are mad because the republicans will not
pass antitrust legislation of a stringent
character, and they are finding fault with
the Nelson amendment to the department
of commerce bill as being milk and water
remedy for the trust evil.
Nobody Pleased With Situation.
So nobody seems to be particularly
pleased with the situation. The outlook for
legislation seems to be confined to probable
ity Of the passage only Of the Nelson amend
ment and the Elkins anti-rebate bill. The
House committee on interstate and foreign
commerce met today and reported the Ell
kins bill with few amendments which will
necessitate putting that measure into con-
ference committee. Nothing is being talked
about at the Capitol today but the question
of trusts. The average republican senator
and representative is becoming very sensi-
tive upon the subject. and If you step up
behind one of them and say trust" very
loudly he jumps and looks startled, and
then assumes ''you can search me- kind
of expression.
There seems to be no prospect at all for
the Littlefeld bill in the Senate. The bill
Is entirely too drastic to suit the senatorial
idea Of trust regulation, and, moreover. OBJ
lection Is urged to it upon the plea OF al
legged unconstitutionalfty of some Of its pro-
visions. The understa nding was that the
with the Attorney General, and that moth
ing would be incorporated in the bill that
could not be defended in the courts. How
ever, views upon the constitutionality OF
trust provisions vary widely.
The republicans are not worrying very
much over democratic dissatisfaction with
their work. They realize that they could
not Go anything which would please the
democrats. and they would not want to do
all that would be necessary to please them.
in the Senate it is held that the legislation
which Is proposed and which the repub-
licans in both Houses are willing to put en-
the statute books, namely. the Nelson
amendment and the Elkins bill will consti-
tute a long step in the direction Of effective
regulation of some Of the trust evils Of
which complaint is made.
Interest in the kilograms.
Interest continued today in the Rookie
Teller kilograms. Have you got copy of
the Rockefeller telegram about you?" was
the common and ocular form of greeting
between senators today. Denials were as
vigorous yesterday, and thus far no one
has been willing to admit publicly that he
has received a telegram. Evasion is made
easy from the fact that some of the te,e-
grams were signed by the senior Rookie
Teller, some by the junior and some by
other officials Of the Standard OIL Company.
SO that II senator had received telegram
from Mr. Rodgers of the Standard Oil Com
pany he felt at ease in telling little white
ib and declaring that he had not received
the Rockefeller telegram.
1t Is fairly well established, however
that about nine republican senators receiv-
ed protests from the Standard Oil Company
against the Nelson amendment There was
some talk Of the democrats attempting to
investigate the question, but senatorial
courtesy was urged. and 1t was suggested
that innocent recipients of the offensive
telegram would be placed in an embarrass-
ing light If the fact were brought out that
they were among Mr.. Rockefeller's corre-