The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1903-01-07
NATIONAL POLITICS
Democrats Throw about Repub-
licans In a Ness.

A special from Washington says:
Both political parties are now be-
ginning to play politics in the new
legislation that is being presented
for the consideration Of the short
session of the 9th Congress. The
Democrats are shooting straight at
the mark and the Republicans are
lodging and hedging as is usually
the case with them when any ques-
tion comes up tor consideration
that will put them on record.
The Democrats threw a bomb in
to their camp very recently dur
ing the consideration Of the leg
islative, executive and judicial APP
preparation bill. Representative
Bartlett of Georgia offered an
amendment to the bill inserting an
appropriation of $250.000 for the
purpose of enforcing the Sherman
antitrust law. This move on the
part of the Democrats was wholly
unexpected by the Republicans and
completely knocked them off their
feet. 1t was amusing to watch
their antics. They first stared at
each other In blank araaEement and
then rushed wildly around for a
hasty consultation with the leaders
of the party. 1t was at FIRST decid-
ed TO rule out the amendment on a
point of order that it was new leg
islation and, therefore not germane
to the bill, but the level headed old
foxy fellows knew that il would be
the worst politics in the world to
go before the country in opposition
to the enforcement of the anti
trust laws, SO they took another
Ntrack. They dug up the "Pete"
Hepburn bill which appropriated
double the amount, but which is
much milder in tone and is intended
to give the trusts as little trouble
as possible, and substituted that
for the Bartlett amendment. 1t
was bitter pill for the Republic
cans to swallow and they made a
wry face over the dose admins
tered by the Democrats, for they
had intended to allow the Hemp
burn bill to die a natural death in
the committee as it had been offered
in the first place simply as a bluff
and to fool the people into believ-
ing that they were trying to do
something to curb the rapacity of
the trusts, but the Democrats
called their bluff and compelled
them TO show their hands. Mr..
bartlett tried in vain to get Mr..
Hepburn to insert in his bill,
which the Republicans adopted as
a substitute to the Bartlett amend
ment, a provision instructing the
Attorney General to proceed at
once to the prosecution OF ali trusts
and unlawful combinations of cap
ital in restraint of trade.
1t was no go, the Republicans abb
solutely refused to tell the Attor-
ney-General to do anything. Judg-
ing the future by the past the At
torney- General Will be afflicted with
the same mastery inactivity con-
corning trust prosecution and the
bill passed by the Republican
House will have about as much eff
feet or the trusts as water on
ducks back.
That is the way the people of this
country are constantly deceived by
the Republicans in the Congress of
the Nation. The people are made
to believe that the Republicans are
doing something in their interest
by great display and much wind
tanning in the Republican &press
of the country over the S5ass Ne of
such so-called antitrust legislation
as is contained in this Hepburn bill,
when in truth it is as harmless as a
bread pill. The trusts still enjoy
the tariff pad over their backs and
the pounding does not hurt them a
particle. The Republicans always
treat symptoms, but never touch the
disease. They have tried every
remedy, or rather they have sug-