The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-01-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent.

From our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Jan. goth, 1903.
Trust legislation received a setback
last week from the Attorney General.
The subcommittee of the House charged
with the drafting of an antitrust measure
prepared its bill and the announcement
was made that it would be reported to the
House on Friday. On Thursday, how
ever, after securing the approval of the
President, the authors of the measure
called on the Attorney General and re-
quested his opinion. Mr.. Knox imue-
diately detected certain features, notably
those concerning publicity, which in his
opinion would have resulted in the meas
ure's having been pronounced unconsti-
tutional by the courts, and as a result it
was determined to withhold it for further
revision. As the time of the Fifty-seventh
Congress is short anxiety as to the fate of
the measure is increasing.
~
Senator Hoar and other members of the
Senate assert their desire to pass an ade-
quate but conservative trust measure
with special emphasis on the conservative.
At the same time it is appreciated that
the Senate will not be hurried and with
many influential members at heart op-
posed to all "statute tinkering," as they
somewhat contemptuously term trust leg
islation, there are good grounds for the
anxiety expressed by the President and
his supporters.
~
The Cuban Treaty has been finally re-
ported from the committee OH Foreign
Relations and the chairman, Senator
Cullom, moved that the Senate 60 into
executive session Immediately on its con-
vening Monday. Before reporting the
treaty the committee amended it so as to
provide that there should be no change
in the tariff schedule dealing with sugar
from the Dingley rates, beyond the 20
per cent concession allowed Cuba. A
further amendment, made at the earnest
behest of the democrats, provides that
American cattle shall receive 40 per cent
discount from the Cuban tariff rates.
~
The fate of the treaty in the Senate
cannot be predicted with certainty. Your
correspondent has made careful canvass
of the Senate and believes it will event
ually be ratified. On the other hand,
many persons who ought to know, regard
its fate as extremely doubtful, and some
of the democratic Senators who are op-
posing it assert confidently that it will
fail. The entire influence of the Admin
istration is being thrown 10 its favor and
its defeat could not be construed but as a
decided reputation of the Presidents
policy.
~
The Senate demonstrated 10 a remark
able degree its ability to transact business
last week, notwithstanding the claim that
the Statehood bill is blocking other i'm
portant measures. The House having
passed bill providing that all duties
paid on coal be rebated for a period of
one year, the Senate took the measure up
the same day and within fifteen minutes
had SO amended it as to place anthracite
coal permanently on the free list and
passed the measure. The same day the
oooanfa1 he a.,1
passed the bill and sent it to the Presi-
dent, who signed it the next day. AS if
fred by its energy in handling the coal
bill, the Senate then took up and passed
the Militia bill which passed the House
last session. Before passing the measure
that section which provided for the
National Volunteer Reserve was stricken
tout.
Nv
The Senate committee on Military AT
fairs has approved the General Staff bill
and it is expected to come before the
Senate at an early date. This is the bill
so earnestly advocated by Secretary Root
year ago, and in fact ever since. 1t is
not believed that it will meet with serious
opposition being almost entirely an ad-
ministrative measure and having received
the cordial support of three Senators who
have filled the Office of Secretary of War
~
AS the life of the present Congress
draws 10 close the anxiety on the. part
of those interested in the construction of
an isthmian canal increases. With Gus
tomary South American dilatoriness,
Colombia is permitting golden oppor-
tunity to slip away, and there is con-
slant likelihood that the Administration
patience will become exhausted and the
offers of Nicaragua and Costa Rica will be
accepted and the construction of the canal
along that route will be begun. Up to the
present time the Secretary of State has
offered to Colombia a cash payment OF
$40, ooo, 900 and an annuity of 500, 900 to
begin ten years after the ratification of
the treaty. In addition to this amount it
will be necessary to pay SAC, 600, 900 to the
Panama Canal Company, making the
total initial investment $50, 900, 900 in
addition 10 the annuity which will repre-
sent an investment of $3,333,333 80 at 3
per cent.
~
Great interest is manifested in Wash