Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-03-11
PLEDGES CARRIED OrI
rae Republicans Are Making 0soa
Their Promises X egardi.g
the Trusts.

The country will observe that the re.
publican party is once more carving
out its promises. The passage Of the
Littlefield antitru1e IA Z, the house of
representatives by a uLaulnaous vote
Is Impressive evidence not osis of tho
republican party's honesty, but of its
courage and intelligence This is re-
publican bill. and the house is a repub-
lican body. The democrats ATTEMPTED
10 weight down the measure by amend
ments which they knew had not the
slightest chance 10 pass. and which
they knew ought not 10 be passed.
Some of them, if enacted, would have
been declared unconstitutional by the
courts. Others would have been UNI
workable. and would haze made the
whole statute a dead letter Many po-
litical speeches were made 10y the
democrats in the course Of the consid-
Grafton of the bill. Their purpose
throughout all of this obstructiveness
was TO make partisan capital for their
party and 10 hamper the republicans.
says the ST. Louis Globe Democrat.
Undoubtedly the Littlefield bill. or
some other antitrust measure. will
pass congress. The <snate has n meas
ure of its own, and may modify the
house bill, but some bill calculated to
bring the great combines under the
surveillance of the government will
undoubtedly be enacted. The preSi-
dent has let IL be known tina. If the
term ends without the enact ment Of an
antitrust measure he will call the new
congress in extra session. which would
probably Toe i'm March or April. As
there are only about three weeks more
of the present term, congress will have
10 make some haste If it finishes a bill
which the president will like. That il
will do this is extremely probable.
The senate. like the house. is con-
trolled by the republicans. The body
will have the same incentive as the
popular branch for the observance Of
the party's pledges. The republicans
came out against the trust menace in
their platform OF 1SsS, just when the
trust idea i'm its present phase first
came up. The congress elected that
year, which was republican in both
branches. passed AN antitrust bill. and
the president chosen AT the same time.
also republican, signed that act.
which is popularity called the Sherman
law.
Littlefield's bill provides that every
corporation hereafter organized, be-
fore engaging in Interstate or foreign
commerce. shall file return with the
interstate commerce commission
whenever required by that body, stat
ing its name, date Of organizations
amount OF bonds issued and outetaud-
ing, amount Of authorized cauital
stock, shares into which il is divided.
amount issued and outstanding,
amount paid in. and many other facts
which Will be OF use TO the commits sion
in its work Of surveillance and rcgula-
ton. II provides for publicity. and sets
mp all the safeguards which sane per
sons have advocated. Whether Rookie
Teller. OF The Standard Oil company
wrote or did not write that telegram
attributed TO him. warning congr, -
not 10 pass any antitrust law. the en-
actment Of such a law by the present
| congress is decidedly probable. The
republican national platform demands
the passage OF such an act. The presi-
dent has urged il. An overwhelming
majority Of the republican party want
il. The republican, is the only party
which could, in any case, be trusted 10
| enact any such legislation as this. II
| an adequate antitrust law should fail
to reach the president by March the
next congress will he summoned at
once 10 supply this demand The
chances are, however. that the present
congress will meet this requirement.
The republican party is the one which
| carries out its pledges.
NnnknEr-a1nr