Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-06
Consideration Resumed in
the House.
PANAMACANALTREATY
DISCUSSION IN THE SENATE THIS
AFTERNOON.
Executive Session Held-Mr. Morgan
Declares the Matter Should Be
Deliberately Debated.

In accordance with the special rule under
which the House is operating that body met
at 10 o'clock this morning to continue the
debate upon the antitrust BILL Mr.. Foss
Qll) reported the naval appropriation bill.
Mr.. Lawrence lAIass.), the first speaker
on the antitrust bill today, said he heart
fly supported the measure. He took issue
with the statement of a distinguished
statesman (senator Morgan of Alabama) in
a recent interview that neither party was
in earnest upon this question. On the con-
trary, he believed that both parties were
sincerely DESTROYS of properly controlling
and regulating trusts.
Mr. Henry (Texas) said he was not an ex-
tremist. He did not desire to wage war on
the legitimate corporations, but he did be-
lieve that monopolies and trusts could be
and should be outlawed.
The trouble with the pending bill, he SAID
was that 1t did not justify It's alleged OBJ
ject-it did not aim at existing and admit
ted combinations in restraint of trade
Not Trusts, but Corporations.
Mr. Jenkins CWis.), chairman of the ju-
dietary committee, followed. He stated
. that the power of Congress was as limited
upon this question as that of any common
council in any city in the United States.
AS a matter of fact, he declared, there were
no trusts in the United States. The busi-
ness Of the country was carried on, ne salo,
by corporations, not trusts. He quoted
many authorities in support of his conten-
ton that Congress had no control over com,
merce, that its power was str1cuy nmlteo
to regulation.
In reply to a question he agreed that the
taxing power of the government might be
invoked to suppress undesirable corpora
lions.
Mr.. Fleming (Ga-) said he would vote for
the BILL amended or unamended but cr1tl-
cised the weakness of the various sections
He pointed out particularly that the Dill
only compelled corporations hereafter or
ganized' to file returns. This, ne SAID,
would be in the interest OF old corporations
by placing them in possession OF co1hpiele
information concerning future corporauons
organized to fight those IN existence. MI.
Fleming suggested an amendment to sec
tion five so as to make it applicable to wa
ter transportation.
He said that Mr. Nevin (Ohfo) and HIM
self both members of the Judiciary COM
mittee had concurred In minority re
port favoring the striking out of section !,
which prohibited carrier from transport
ing trust-made goods. He was opposed TO
1t because 1t placed the responsibility or
determining what were truSt-made goods
upon the carrier
Amendments Suggested.
Mr.. Parker On j. while he said he sup
ported the bill, offered various suggestions
for amendments to some Of the sections
which he believed would strengthen 1t.
Mr.. Gilbert (Ky.) said his private opinion
was that the bill was not only a homeo-
pathic dose, but that it would do more harm
than good. The republican party, he said,
was now engaged in the same sort OF des-
perate effort to destroy the trusts which
characterized it in its attempt for ten years
to establish bimetallism by international
agreement.