The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-28
,Omnindsl Building Measure ,,i'! '
Jeopardized by Fllibuste''ring
TALK On THE TRUSTS I R ISL $:
Q etnocrat Arraigns Republican Part
for Failure to Keep Its Promise as /
to- Remedlary Legislation She.
Heard Husband Excorlated.
~ Waiter Edward Harris.
Especial to The Times. Dlspatch.1 y
K Il. 81 Times.Dispatch Bureau,


Times Dispatch Bureau,
Washington. .. G., February 81, 1908.
The Democrats are SO nearly masters
OF the House Of Representatives. that
they are practically In control. There
has been practically no business done
since Wednesday, save the oustng Of
Butler. the Missouri Democat and the
seating OF Wagner, the Republican, The
threat Of the minority that Il the ma
Sjority ,inseated the Democrat. without
ever having read the testimony that fill
clustering tactics should prevail until the
end Of the session. is being fulfilled. Full
relief is not In sight. and 1t Is not pro-
bable that there will DO much moro leg
5lslation BY the House this session. OBJ
structlve tactics will probably prevail in
opposition to every bill to which there
Is any objection.
This sudden inauguration Of f1libus-
terlng campaign has put In grave danger
the omnibus public buildings bill, and
the appropriation for the. pure ase OF q
site for the Richmond postofhce. Speak
err Henderson Is opposed to the whole
BILL He has declared he will not allow
1t to be called up. His attitudeSis be-
lieved to be due to that of the Democrats
In opposing legislation.
An effort Is being made BY the Domo-.
Gratis to induce tho Speaker, upon assur-
ance Of no Democratic opposition. to al
low the bill to go through. Representa-
tive Lamb Is very hard at work among
Democrats to agree not to oppose the
bill, and among Republicans to induce
the Speaker to reeognl7e = ar, M prS1io
Grounds and Buildings to call up the
+ bill N1r.N Lamb hopes to be successful.
but says no will not claim a victory
II he Is.
y It would look as though the bill would
pass, but it will not have the plain SAIL
ing expected for it before the arbitrary
exercise of power by the majority Liu
seating q contestant without even read
ing the evidence in the case.
f& This flibuster Is productive OF evil.
IN so far as 1t prevents the passage OF
desirable legislation, but good VIII now
from the prevention Of bad legislation.
which Is always enacted in a session
closing days.
There is heard now more talk OF an
extra session Of Congress than at any
time since this session began. num-
Der OF the Democrats have said they
would not hesitate to defeat appropria-
ton bills rather than abandon their tao
tics of obstruction.
Although a. rule adopted by the House
this afternoon, I! cutting of debate VIII
expedite business to 20 considerable en-
tent. there Will be the same round fot
roll calls, and every one OF these is
good for at least twenty or Twenty-Five
minutes Of the governments time. ana
the House must adjourn sine die at noon
Wednesday.
UTTER FAILURE.
A talk with a Democratic member OF
the House to-day was interesting, as
showing the utter failure of the Repub-
licans to regulate trusts. Tbs one tnins
the people of the country had rlgnt 10
expect Congress to do 1t has NOT cone,
and cannot now do were 1t so disposed.
It was proclaimed the length and breadth
of the land that the chief good work
which would be done by the Republican
majority at this session would DO the
regulation Of the trusts. a ~
ut Is easy to show that tho legislation
having for It's ostenslble purpose the reg
ulation, not to say subjugatlon, tot the
trusts, is in reality in the Interest OF
combined wealth The so-callcd publicity
feature Of the Department Of Commerce
bill Is Just exactly what big corpora
ton would ask in Its fight to crush out
small competitors. AS q stock boomer,
nothing could be better than the general
publication Of It's heavy dividends ana
general prosperity. OF course, MT: ROCK
efellcr, whose aversion to having the pub
lie know aught of his affairs has pre-
vented the listing OF standard OIL on the
New York Exchange, might for time,
object to having published to the world
tho truth about his profit, sand meth DDS,
but his aversion would soon vanish when
he saw such great returns IN tho way
OF Increased price OF STOCK. ,''l ~
Upon tho other haru. weak corpora
tons, composed OF men with small means,
men who vainly believe they can success
fully nit Industry, brains, energy and @
little money against unlimited capital,
will suffer. They will be hurt immeasur-
ably by having all tho .eta.ls Of their
business published to- the public--that
part Of the public looking Tor profitable
Investment They cannot stand the COM
parlson with their giant competitors.
"The Elkins bill. forb!dding railroads
to make determinations In freight rates
as between large and small shippers. Is
essentially In the interest. fot the rail.
roads, than which there arc no better
Examples Of trusts, s Elkns y
Virginia coal mines to q large extent,
but much moro interested IN railways.
He would not see enacted a law which
caused them to suffer, Besides. since
the community of interest idea has be-
come SO common among railroads. IT
Instance, what financial difference can
it make whether freight from OHIO
points gets to the seaboard over t4e
chesapeake and Ohio or the Norfolk
and Western? The freight receipts all
go into the Golfers Of the PENNSYLVANIA
at last 1t was different twenty years
ago, before tho days of P'erpont Nor
gan and other Captains OF Industry
when every railway line was independ-9
ent and nghting for traffic, Secret 'e-2
bates are not necessary any LONGER.
Railroad influence secured me passage
an offense. punishable by n heavy fine.
''Yet the Republicans have proclaimed
to the country that they have curbsd
the trust evil.
"If the voter believe that trusts are
necessary and beneficial he can rest an
peace They have not been hurt.
III he spell the Trust Evii with 4
capital r and u, he must walt While
longer to $50 II eradlcated.
III he doesn't caro- one way or anoth,
err. but Is honest. he must be disgnsted
Win the miserable spretence and fakery
Of The nepublieans who aay they haye
strain combined wealth from oppressing
the consumer and crushing the weak