Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-28
President Assured by Senate
Leaders Trust Regulation
Will Not be Smothered
OPPOSING MEMBERS COMPROMISE
In RooseveIt's Mind the Party Pledges
Necessitate Action and He Has Given
as Alternative of Direct Vote, the
Features Of Trust Legislation He Re-
CARDS Essential.

L
trust legislation shall not be smothered
or side-tracked. Senators Aldrich.
Hanna and others who are notoriously
not eager for trust bursting legisla-
ton, have agreed 10 compromise the
matter. They have given their word
that vote shall be taken on some bill
which is something more than blank
cartridge.
The pre- sident has insited upon this.
He has plainly stated to these leaders
that the party pledges necessitates
action. He has marked out the features
of trust legislation which he regards
as essential. and has given them the
alternative of a direct vote on such a
bill or an extra session. Following are
the points President Roosevelt lsgards
as essential:
"First-Publicity. by means of bureau
of corporation, to be under direct con-
troll of the president, by means OF an
official of the proposed department. OF
commerce.
"Second-The beginning of more eff
fective regulation of common carriers,
namely the railroads. by such pronlpl-
tons of rebates. etc. as are recon-
lnended by Attorney Knox.
These are the concrete results 70
which the party leaders must be able
to point after March j. Otherwise. look
out for a special session message. NO
excuse will answer. No pretext VIII
suffice. No deadlock or rush of business
will avert the consequences. the pres
ident has no power to make the senate
vote right, but he has the power 70
force a vote. Then there are plenty OF
party pledges and the prospects OF an
appeal to the people TO make them vote
eir the peoples interest.
There is a feature OF trust legislation
which is embodied in the so-cailed Lit
tletield bill, which has already drawn
the fire of criticism and which may
have to be eliminated. This is the part
outlined in section 6. 1t is directeo
against the notorious practice OF such
trusts as the tobacco. oil ana peer
trusts, who go into a locality and com
pete destructively With some local IN :
Gustry. predatory competition IS .ne
,,hrase which Attorney General Knox
coined TO define it. That section OF
the Iittlefield bill seeks to forbid the
use of common carriers TO corPo'''eio'i'
INDUCING in such practices.
,This sis the most radical feature OF
tho administration program and some
az the presidents most trusted al
visers have advised him to abandon II.
They argue that the law could not be
framed so as to strike only the large
and wicked offenders, but would opsi-
ate to the serious injury OF lnnunler-
able small concerns doing legltlIna'e
interstate commerce business. lney
think it would be unwise 10 atteinpe
to curb competition. They ADVISE tne
president to stick to his plan Tor pup
iicity and effective regulation OF rail-
roads.
ON good authority ii may be stated
that President Roosevelt will not make
such a feature a part OF his ultimatum
to congress.
Another feature of the trust regula-
ton on which the president Will not
insist to the last, and to which siren
nous opposition has been made, is thar
section which would lodge in the SUI
preme court power to prohibit by Writ
of Injunction the use Of common car,
riers. by a corporation which violates
anti trust law.
The president will insist upon a law
to hasten the final adjudication of the
interstate commerce cases pending IN
the courts. 1t is believed that no
serious opposition will be urged to this
llegislation Opposition to the admin
|istration's trust policy may be classi-
fled under three heads:
"FHrst-Republican leaders in con :
gresa whose sympathies are constitu-
tionally enlisted on .thc side Of trusts,
such as Aldrich, Hanna, Depew, ct al,
"Second-Republican leaders with
excellent intentions, but disposed to
favor remedies too radical to be ex-
pedient or practicable, in the light
of what may be secured from ex-
listing conditions, such as Hoar, Gull
lon, ct al.
."Third-Some republican and more
democratic leaders who profess to be in
favor OF vastly more stringent meas !.
ures than any suggested by the adj
ministration. Their plan is demagogic
and their purposes are VIGOROUSLY In
sincere"
With all of these the president has
had, is having and will have a strenu-
Gus contest. He is determined tina.
congress shall not mark time, that is
shall do something, that it shall make
a real start toward restraining the
trusts, that the end shall not be de-
feated by aiming too high, nor that
more ineffective shot shall be fired int
the ground. He meditates real shot
at the trust.
The republican leaders are not en-
tirely deaf to the political argument.
These of whom Aldrich and Hanna are
typical admit the force of Roosevelt,
argument. The president disclaims any
Iunfriendly intent. He says he is. if
they knew it, the nest frierd the trusts
now have. Unless the republicans ef
feet legislation which will moderately
and properly restrain them, they may
live to see the day when they will be
regulated" with red hot pillow share
/ in the hands of some Tom johnson.
Reluctantly the republican leaders have
given their promises. 1t remains to
be seen how we'll they will perform.
CHARGES THREATS BY TRUST.