The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1903-01-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Poor Chance for Antitrust Leeis-
Iati0n-Anthracite Coal Put
on Free List.
(From Our Regular Correspondent. )

(From Our Regular Correspondent }
Washington, D. c., Jan. 10, '03.
Trust legislation received set back
this week from the Attorney Cen
eral. The sub committee 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,
however, after securing the approval
of the President, the authors of the
measure called on the Attorney Gen.
eral and requested his opinion. Mr..
Knox Immediately detected certain
features, notably those concerning
publicity, which In his opinion would
have resulted in the measures having
been pronounced unconstitutional BY
the courts, and as result it was de-
termfned to withhold it for further
revision. As the time of the forty
seventh Congress is short anxiety as
to the fate of the measure is increas-
ing.
Senator Hoar and other members
of the Senate assert their desire to
pass an adequate but conservative
trust measure-with special empha.
sis on the conservative. AT the same
time it is appreciated that the Senate
will not be hurried and with many
Influential members at heart opposed
to all "statute tinkering," as they
somewhat contemptuously term trust
legislation, there are good grounds
for the anxiety expressed by the
President and his supporters.
The fate of the Cuban treaty in
the Senate cannot be predicted with
certainty. Your correspondent has
made careful canvass of the Senate
and believes it will eventually be rat
ified. On the other hand, many per-
sons who ought to know regard its
fate as extremely doubtful and some
of the Democratic Senators who are
opposing it assert confidently that it
will fail. The entire influence of
administration is being thrown in its
favor and its defeat could not be con-
structed but as decided reputation
of the Presidents policy.
The Senate demonstrated to re.
markable degree its ability to trans
act business last week, notwithstand-
ing the claim that the Statehood bill
is blocking other important measures.
The House having passed bill pro.
viding that all duties paid on coal be
rebated for 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 tho measure. The same day
the House accepted the amendment
and passed the blu and sent it to the
President who signed it the next day.
As if fired by its energy in handling
the coal bill, the Senate then took
up and passed the Militia bill which
passed the House last session. Be-
fore passing the measure that sss&6a
which provided for the National Vol
unteer Reserve was stricken out.
AS the life of the present Congress
draws to q close the anxiety on the
part Of those interested in the con-
struction Of an isthmian canal in
creases. With customary South
American dilatorines,, Colombia is
permitting a golden opportunity to
slip away and there is constant like
lihood that the administrations pa
tience will become exhausted and the
offers Of Nicaragua and Costa Rica
will be accepted ond the construction
Of the canal alobg that route will be
begun. Up to the present time the
Secretary of State has offered to Co
lombia cash payment of 10000
900 and an annuity of 800, 600 to
begin ten years after the ratification
of the treaty. In addition to this
amount it will be necessary to pay
$40, 200, 900 to the Panama Canal
Company making the total initisl in.
vestment S50,000,000 in addition to
the annuity which will represent an
investment of $S, 1873, ,333. 33 at 3per
cent.
SE0AllA SlFTlNGS.
Aa II has been some time since nv