The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-01-08
HEAR HOAR ANDVEST.
Senators Listen to Two Nota-
BILE Speeches.
TRUSTS AND PROTECTION ATTACKED
Senior Member From SInssachusetts
Argues For His Antitrust Dill.
Missourian Favors Free Coal.
House Passes stnR Dill.

"SStN sum
WASHINGTON, Jan. THE day in
the senate was eventful because of n
I notable speech by Senator Hoar on his
bill regulating trusts and an attack by
Senator Vest on protected industries
through the operation of the Dingley
law. Senator Hoar's utterances were
listened to with marked attention. lie
said that nearly all thoughtful men in
this country are agreed that some legis-
lation, state or national, ought to be
had for the regulation and control of
what are called trusts and of large
masses of capital accumulated by cor
porations or artificial persons holding
propcYy and conducting business with
out individual liability. There was, he
said. a general feeling of insecurity and
alarm about the matter, and we were
dealing with real peril and not with
a fancied or imaginary danger. He
argued that If his bill should become
a law and prove effective no corpora
tion engaging in the commerce which
Is within the Jurisdiction of congress
can keep its condition a secret. The
bill, he said, depends for its validity on
the constitutional power of congress to
regulate international and interstate
commerce.. Should the bill not prove
effectual he contended that II would be
easy to extend its operation by impos-
ing like personal liability on every
stockhoder.
Senator Vest used as a text for his
remarks his resolution introduced Mon
day instructing the committee on
finance to prepare and report a bill re-
moving the duty on coal. Feeble in the
extreme and supporting himself on his
desk. he called attention TO the condi-
ton of distress which had arisen as a
result of the shortage in the coal sup
ply. There was breathless silence in
the chamber as he spoke, and every
senator on the floor turned in his di-
rection in order to catch his words. He
said that the question was no longer a
partisan one, but one of humanity, and
that we are not on the verge of crisis,
but actually in it. He charged the Re-
publican senators with being silent and
dumb to the state of affairs, having on
ly in mind the party cry, stand pat"
He characterized the Dingley tariff act
as Sacred elephant" with which
nothing was to be done. He sarcas-
tically remarked that if the whole ques-
tion was one of raising money for the
next presidential campaign that was
the end of the discussion.
At 4:30 the senate adjourned after a
brief executive session.
The house passed the bill for the
creation of general staff for the army
by vote of 153 to 81. BY the terms
OF the bill it becomes the duty of the
general staff to prepare plans for the
national defense and for the mobiliza-
tion of the army in time of war, to inv
vestigate and report on all questions
affC~ting the efficiency of the service
and to render professional aid to the
secretary of war and to general Off
GERS and other superior commanders.
The general staff corps is to consist
of one chief of staff and two general
officers, all to be detailed by the presi-
dent from officers of the army at large
not below the grade of brigadier gen.
eral; four colonels, six lieutenant colo
nels and twelve majors, twenty cap
tains to be detailed from officers of the
grade of captain or first lieutenant,
who while so serving shall have the
rank, pay and allowances Of captains
mounted.
A number of bills of a minor charac-
ter were passed, the most important
being one to increase the pension Of
soldiers totally deaf from $50 to $40
per month.