Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-22
SENATOR KNOX TEssNoIaoasro e,e
PRESIDENTS ACTION AeAInsl rs
COMBINES.
REVIEWS SITUATION
Speaking Before the Union League
Club Of New York, Mr.. Knox Details
the Story Of Antitrust Legislation
of RooseveIt's Administration.

New York. Oct. Ex-senator Philan-
der G. Knox. former United States
attorney. was rendered reception last
night by the Union League club.
There was no other guest of the club
and only Union League members were
present. Senator Knox was formally
escorted to the speakers platform by
Cornelius N. Bliss, president Of the
club.
Senator Knox was given cordial
greeting in the applause of the mem
bers.
Reviewed Partys Action.
Mr.. Knox reviewed the attitude Of
the republican party towards the great
corporations and gave in detail the sit
uation as it confronted President
Roosevelt at the time the ques-
.tion of the legality of the North
ern Securities was brought up. OF
this the speaker said: ''The .organiza.
ton Of the Northern Securities COM
in New Jersey to hold the stock Of two
great competing Interstate railroads of
henorthwest. the combination OF
the beef packers between themselves
and with several great railroad sys'
TENS and number Of other new
forms of corporate aggression, brought
President Roosevelt right upon the
Threshold of his administration face
to face with the question whether he
would accept the view that these new
devices, whose deadly effect upon com
petition was certain, should escape
the evident intent Of the law because
as their promoters claimed, their ef.
feet was indirect. upon interstate
commerce, or because, as they were
created under the laws Of q state, they
were beyond federal power. These
were the two views advanced In theif
behalf.
President Did Not Hesitate.
"The President did not hesitate
long In reaching conclusion and an
nounced that the position Of the ad.
ministration was that the power of
congress to regulate commerce with
foreign nations and among the several
states and with Indian tribes was
plenary and extended to all kinds Of
traffic and its instrumentalities.
"Thus matters stood in December,
1902, when the first session Of the
Fifty eighth congress convened"
In the course of legislative proceed.
ure, the speaker said, he as attorney
general was asked by the chairman Of
the judiciary committee in the re-
spective branches of congress for sug.
gestions as to what might be desirable
in the way of further legislation be
fore consideration was begun of the
various bills introduced in congress
based upon their proponents view OF
the Presidents conception Of the
scope of congressional power. These
requests he said, were brought at
once to the Presidents attention.
IT had the honor to be deputed by
the President to express the conclu
sions he had reached and did SO. II
was stated to be the Presidents view
that the end desired was that combi
nations of capital should be regulated
and not destroyed, and that while eff
fectual measures should be taken tc
correct the tendency toward monopoly
yet even the suggestion of Legislation
regulating the business interests o1
the country beyond the point neces
sary to accomplish that end was 6
thing to be avoided.
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