Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-02
MR.. Kk0X'S VIEWS
Senators Surprised He Should
Express Them Now.
THE FORAKER BILL
HAS NO EARTHLY CHANCE IN
THIS CONGRESS.
Gossip at the Capitol Over Both Mat
ters-Representative Hearst's
Injunction Bill.

For a legislative measure which has nc
more chance in this Congress than snow
ball in a crematery. the Foraker bill is ex'
citing a good deal of discussion at the Cap
, itol. The talk is all on the side, however
and practically nothing can be obtained FOL
publication. A Star reporter talked today
with a dozen or more prominent senators
and representatives about the bill and
about Attorney General KnoX's statement
thereon, but did not get permission to use
any Of the interviews. 1t is remarkable
how many congressman when approached
upon the subject have neglected to read the
Foraker bill or the Knox statement.
Many senators expressed surprise at the
promptitude of Attorney General Knox IN
giving an opinion upon bill before 1t had
been sent to him by the Senate. They IN
terpreted his statement to be an indication
of the uneasiness felt by the adminlstra-
ton over the possible political effect OF eX-
ploitation of the bill at this time. Ihey
thought that the celebrity of the democrats
in taking up the bill as a possible campaign
issue may have dictated the Knox state
ment 1t was evident yesterday that the
ing up their sleeves and taking firm hold
on the cudgel in order to strike at the Dill
at the first opportunity.
A Bearing on Mr.. Knox's Action.
The readiness of the democratic press
and that section of the press which Is hos
tile to Roosevelt to seize upon the intro
duction Of the measure by Senator Foraker
as possessive of significance. on account Of
his friendliness with the administration, is
also thought to have had a bearing upon
Attorney General KnoXs action.
Administration senators and representa-
tives were agreed today that Attorney Cen
eral KnoX's statement effectually disposed
of the allegation that the introduction OF
the bill was indicative of capitulation of
the President to Wall street demands The
complete and sweeping dSavowal OF the
Foraker bill by the legal adviser of the ad-
miniStration was to their minds a decisive
check to all further talk that the President
making overtures to the corporation
interests of the country.
Republican senators and representatives
could be found who thought that the For
aker bill would work harm to the coun-
try, but even these congressman recognized
the political effect which agitation of the
subject might have at this time, and they
would not go on record as favoring the
measure. They We're not ready to under
take the campaign of education which they
said would be necessary to prepare the pub
lie mind for favorable attitude toward
the legislation.
In the House the feeling against the For
aker bill is very strong among republicans
Many conservative republican representa-
tives hold the opinion that the enactment
of the proposed amendment in the law
would throw down the bars to many pos
sible abuses by corporate combinations.
All congressman who are interested in the
subject are looking forward with eagerness
to the forthcoming decision of the United
States Supreme Court in the merger case
and think that nothing further should be
done by Congress until the Supreme Court
has ruled upon the legislation already en-
acted for the regulation Of trusts.
Mr.. Hearst's Injunction Bill.
There was some comment among repub-
lcans today over a bill introduced in the
House by Mr.. William r. Hearst of New
York, asprant for the democratic presiden-
tial nomination. Mr. Hearst's bill author
ICES circuit courts of the United States to
restrain by injunction on the petition of
district attorneys alleged violations of the
Sherman antitrust law. One paragraph of
the bill provides the court shall proceed as
soon as the parties complained of have
been notified. to the hearing and deter NINA
ton of the case and pending such petition
and before final decree the court may ut
any time make such> temporary restraining
order of prohibition as Shall be deemed just
in the premises"
1t was recalled by republicans that Mr..
Hearst has for years been foremost in tho
campaign in opposition to government by
Injunction, so-called, and men who read his
bill We're at a loss to reconcile 1t with his
previous attitude. They say that under the
bill it would be possible for a distTic. at
torney and circuit court to completely tic
which seemed to them to be violating the
law